Beautiful Thing
by SodaFiz
Summary: Branch finds the last thing he'd ever expect: a clue to what may have really happened to his parents, but his search takes him, Poppy, and a few friends on a perilous journey unlike any they'd ever experienced before. In a quest for answers with them both facing their own struggles, can Branch and Poppy stay together or will they lose the thing that matters most?
1. Seed of Unease

**A/N: Well, I've joined the Trolls fandom. I've had this idea for about a month now and I'm really hoping you Trolls fans will like it. I told myself I wouldn't do this, but I'm going ahead and posting this before I have the next chapter written, mostly because I'm impatient and just want to get this thing out already. Plus, I'm already into Trolls and I want to keep this inspiration for as long as possible. I'm gonna try to stick to this story like an octopus to my face no matter how hard it may get. I'm so sick of getting writer's block and abandoning my past stories, so I'll try my best to stick with this even if it takes me awhile!  
**

 **So what should you expect from this story? Expect a journey, psychological struggles, Branch development, Poppy development, Branch's parents, and Broppy of course! It's mostly gonna be about Broppy :) They're one of the few OTPs I have and I just can't resist writing a story about these two. Yes, this first chapter is short, but it's setting things up. I have a lot more planned, don't worry. By the way, this story is going to get REALLY sad and maybe even tragic at parts for the characters emotionally, so if you're particularly sensitive you may want to read future chapters with caution.**

 **If anyone's wondering, I am NOT taking this story down the route of "Branch being a lost prince from another tribe of Trolls." No, that's already used a lot and I don't want to unintentionally copy someone else's fanfiction.  
**

 **I hope you like it! Please R &R :) Reviews fill me with determination!**

 **Trolls belongs to Dreamworks. Not me.  
**

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 **Chapter 1: Seed of Unease  
**

 _"You shout it out, but I can't hear a word you say,"_ Poppy sang as she busied herself with her party invitations. It had been a month since the Bergens and Trolls made peace. _You're invited to the One Month Peace Anniversary Party!_ said her invitations. They were bright and colorful as always, and full of glitter. If her last invitation had been enough to cover Branch's whole face with glitter, he was sure the quantity her latest creations packed were enough for every Troll to shower in daily for a week.

 _"I'm talking loud, not saying much,"_ she continued.

"How long are you going to keep singing that song?" asked Branch, a playful tone in his voice. "You've been singing it for two weeks now. Every. Single. Day." He sat at a table drawing a map of the new Troll Tree and the surrounding Bergen Village. They occupied Poppy's new home, a large pink pod hanging at the top of the Troll Tree.

Poppy smiled and turned to give him a playful smirk. "As long as it's in my head, I'll sing it, and it's been in my head for the past two weeks."

Branch grinned, continuing his work. Silence hung between them as Poppy became engrossed in her own work, momentarily forgetting to sing. The afternoon sun shone softly through the pink petals of Poppy's pod. A small breeze was drifting around outside, but neither Trolls felt it as the pod petals shielded them from the weather. In the distance other Trolls could be heard singing and having fun while the Bergens in town went about their day.

"Whatchu doing, Branch?" came Poppy's sudden voice just by Branch's right ear.

Branch jumped and turned to face her. His eyes glanced at Poppy's invitations before meeting her eyes in astonishment. She was leaning over his right shoulder, one hand wrapped around his neck in a friendly gesture. The blue Troll felt his face grow warm. Their faces were just inches apart and she was gazing at him with her cheerful expression that made him weak at the knees. If he leaned in just two inches...

"I'm drawing a map of Bergen Town and the new Troll Tree," he said, turning away from her to face the drawing on the table.

"Do we really need a map?" Poppy questioned. "I mean, the Troll Tree is right in the middle of Bergen Town. It's pretty easy to spot."

"But what about Bergen Town itself? Most of the Trolls don't know their way around yet. We just barely moved back in a month ago. Someone could get lost."

The pink Troll smiled. "Alright, Grumpypants. If you insist," she said teasingly.

Branch chuckled and Poppy laughed. He may be colorful now, but old habits die hard. He was still introverted. He was still reserved. He was still Branch, just happier... _most of the time._

They both grew quiet. The ambient sounds of distant singing Trolls and working Bergens filled the pod. Branch turned back to drawing his map, absorbed in his thoughts. He may have gotten the south side of Bergen Town wrong in his drawing. _Is Captain Starfunkle's more south or west of the Troll Tree?_ he wondered. Perhaps he had better go back and check.

He wasn't sure how long she'd been talking, but he was suddenly aware of Poppy calling his name. _"Branch?"_

Branch turned his full attention on her, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She looked off, maybe even a little forlorn. Her eyebrows were slanted like she was worried. She was nervously rubbing one arm, hunched in on herself. Poppy? _Sad?_ The two words didn't mix. Only when they'd been trapped in that pot had Poppy ever experienced such a melancholy as he had, and it broke his heart. "Poppy, are you okay?" he asked slowly.

It was like she'd been trapped in a little world of her own as he had been about his map just moments ago, but she suddenly snapped to attention. Quicker than Cooper could say "Cupcakes!" she had a smile on her face. "Oh, yeah!" she said a little too fast and a little too brightly. "Sorry, I was just wondering something, but it actually doesn't matter."

Branch grunted in surprise as she lunged at him for a hug, her arms wrapped around him tightly. Branch's eyes grew wide. He returned the hug, but her movements seemed too stiff, too mechanical, too unnatural to be the Poppy he knew and loved. She pulled away quickly and gave him a million dollar smile. "Well, I should go see how the party preparations are coming, so I'm gonna get going, but you're welcome to stay here as long as you want." She scampered over to her door and gave him a wave. "See you later, Branch!"

The blue Troll was left in the solitude of Poppy's pod. _Uh... what just happened?_ Branch wondered. Was she alright?

He shrugged. She was a strange Troll. Strange in a good way, of course. She was the kind of Troll who could probably skip sleeping for a week and still sing a musical like she was high on sugar. Who knew what went on in her mind? Even now she still surprised Branch with her endless energy and optimism. Perhaps it was just Poppy being Poppy.

Still, a small seed of unease planted itself in the back of Branch's mind, but he tried to ignore it. He could almost hear Poppy giggling and telling him that he worried too much.


	2. What Are We?

**A/N: THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED, FAVED, AND FOLLOWED! You have no idea how happy that makes me. I'm glad you guys like the first chapter. Speaking of, this chapter is even LONGER, over 3000 words! I have no idea how it got to be like that. I just started writing and the words poured out of me. It was so much fun!**

 **Before I go farther, there will be times that there will be singing in this story and I'm going to put a song or two at the beginning of some chapters that I encourage you to listen to at least once just so you can get a feel for what it's like for whatever characters are singing at the time. I may also use song quotes at the end of a chapter to help with the feel and emotion of the story as a whole.**

 **Oh, and regarding the reviewer who asked if Poppy and Branch were together in this story: this chapter should answer your question :)**

 **For this chapter I encourage you to please look up at least the beginning of the song "Speed of Love" by Owl City as part of it is sung in this chapter. This chapter also introduces a canon Trolls character who's going to become more integrated into the story later. I hope everyone enjoys! Please R &R!**

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 **Chapter 2: What Are We?**

Branch yawned and sat up in his bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. His blue pod, one of the closest ones to Poppy's, which totally had not been his own conscious choice of location, was shaking. Wait, _shaking_? An expression of surprise graced his features. It was loud outside, much louder than normal. Trolls were singing and scampering around, shaking the tree limb his pod hung from. He could see the shadows of busy Trolls passing outside his pod. He didn't sleep in, did he? What was he missing? Shifting his blanket off, he hurriedly threw on his vest and lumbered over to his door, brushing his blue hair in a hurry. Hopefully it wasn't TOO messed up when he slept.

Peeking his head through his felt petal door, he was proven correct as a blast of chilly morning air hit him. Trolls of all shapes and colors were scurrying up and down the Troll Tree like a rainbow of ants. Caterbuses were carrying cargo too large for a single Troll to carry. Everything from buckets of glitter to armloads of decorations were being transported toward Bergen Town. The Trolls were all singing and humming as they worked. Some briefly paused their song to call a salutation to Branch as they passed his pod.

"Smidge, I need you to haul that wood to the Bergen castle! Guy Diamond, could you check on the rehearsals for me? Satin, Chenille, make sure everyone has an outfit for tonight! Cooper, how're the refreshments coming?" Branch turned to see Poppy in the middle of the chaos, managing the whole thing.

 _What's going on?_ he wondered as he hesitantly stepped into the Troll traffic and maneuvered his way toward her, trying not to bump into anyone as he moved.

Poppy spotted him almost immediately, her face lighting up like a Christmas tree. "Branch, you're finally up!" she called loudly over the sound of singing Trolls. "We're all preparing for the party tonight. Come help!"

 _Oh right, the anniversary party_. He'd almost forgotten about it. _I almost wish I didn't have to go,_ he thought. Colorful or not, crowds still made him nervous, but he was willing to attend it for Poppy. He'd do anything for her. His gaze turned to her magenta eyes as she smiled and beckoned him over. He could get lost in those pools of pink forever...

"Branch? Hellooooo, earth to Branch!" Poppy was waving her hand in front of his face. She smirked and softly tapped his forehead. "Anyone home?"

Branch's eyes turned wide and he looked at her in confusion. "Oh yeah, sorry." He cleared his throat, hoping his cheeks weren't a darker blue than normal. He could _feel_ the heat in his face. "Uh, sure, I'd love to help!" He forced a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

Whooping with joy, Poppy tackled him in a hug, this time definitely genuine. "Great!" she exclaimed, pulling him toward Bergen Town. "We could definitely use some help setting up the stage and you're a really handy guy with tools, considering you spent all those years making crazy survival stuff, so I figured you'd do best with the physical labor."

A teasing smile began to tug at the corners of Branch's mouth. "Ah, so is that all I am to you? A laborer?" he joked.

Her cheerful demeanor vanished from her face, replaced by a serious expression. Her mouth held a small smile, but not a cheerful one, instead a compassionate one. "Not at all, Branch!" she assured him. "You're much more than that. You're everything to me."

Branch gulped. Had he gone too far? _I thought she understood sarcasm now!_ he berated himself. _Stupid, you shouldn't have said that!_ He held up his hands. "Woah, woah, Poppy, I didn't mean it like that. It was a joke! I swear!"

The pink Troll's face crinkled. Branch felt his mouth drop. _Did I make her cry? Oh crap, I think I made her cry!_

A fit of giggles eased his fears. "I know it was a joke, Branch," she exclaimed. "You're just really cute when you're embarrassed!" Branch smiled sheepishly at her remark. Poppy punched his shoulder softly before grabbing his hand, pulling him again toward Bergen Town.

Branch let out a sigh of relief. "This girl will be the death of me," he murmured with a chuckle.

The sun fell low in the sky, meaning party time was upon them. From everywhere Trolls and Bergens were gathered at King Gristle Junior's grand castle. The party was held in the banquet hall, the same place Trollstice had been held that Poppy and the Snack Pack crashed to rescue Bridget.

Most of the tables had been cleared to the side to make room for singing and dancing, though a few remained for the small Trolls to gather on so they wouldn't be crushed by dancing Bergens. Glitter Trolls hung by their hair from the ceiling, giving off the effects of a disco ball, their spots of light dancing across the party goers. When they got tired a few others would replace their friends so the rest could take a well-deserved break. A wooden makeshift stage, large enough for Bergens and Trolls stood against one if the walls. DJ Suki sat at her two turntables on a raised platform next to the stage, mixing out a beat that had every Bergen and Troll dancing around the room.

Poppy found herself looking over a list of the acts scheduled for the party that night. Branch had shadowed her the whole night, not leaving her side. At times Trolls or newly happy Bergens would come up to him just to say hello or thank him for bringing back their happiness. "Oh, it's nothing," he insisted with an embarrassed blush on his cheeks.

"You're very popular tonight, Branch." Poppy grinned and bumped her hip against his playfully.

He smiled. "Yeah, I guess."

Her own smile faltered. "You ok?"

His ears drooped a centimeter. "I'm just still getting used to crowds."

Placing a gentle hand on his shoulder, she replied, "It's ok, Branch. I'll be right here for you the whole night, just like I promised."

"Thanks, Poppy. I... I really do appreciate it." His mouth curved in a smile.

The pink Troll felt her face grow warm, silently thankful her skin was naturally pink. Otherwise her blush might've been obvious. She snaked her arm around his waist, side hugging him. "No problem."

They were only pressed against each others' sides, but they found their faces turned toward each other, their noses almost touching. Branch was sure his face was three shades bluer than it normally was. For being such a cool color, he sure felt unusually warm, or maybe the Bergens' air conditioning broke. Thanks to Poppy it seemed like he'd been blushing a lot lately.

They gazed into each others' eyes, lost in the windows of their souls. Branch's own eyes widened. Were he and Poppy's faces getting closer? Her lips were puckered slightly. He found himself drifting in slowly, his eyes starting to close. He was sure she was doing the same. Branch turned toward her, snaking his own arms around her waist. Poppy's hands drifted to his shoulders. Their heads were tilted, leaning in, lips just centimeters apart.

"HEY, POPPY!"

They jumped apart. Branch yelped. His hands left her waist and both Trolls turned to see who had called her name. It was Cooper. He was hurrying toward them on his four legs, calling for his pink friend.

"Poppy!" he said, stopping to stand in front of them both. He saw their startled faces, brows furrowed in confusion. "Oh, uh... did I interrupt something?"

"No!" Branch insisted, his hands folded bashfully behind his back. He was staring at the ground, his face a darker blue than normal. Though Poppy was attentive to Cooper, she herself looked a little embarrassed as well.

"What's up, Cooper?" Her tone was cheerful, but held a slight hint of annoyance.

"The rest of us were just wondering when the acts were going to start," said the four-legged Troll. "Everyone's just itching for you and Branch to open up the show with that performance you promised!"

Poppy's expression brightened. "Oh yeah! We really should start soon." She turned to her companion and extended her hand. "You ready, Branch?"

He clasped it tightly. "As long as you're with me."

Poppy squealed and tackled him with a hug before turning to look him in the eyes. "Let's begin then, just like we practiced. Come on!"

Two figures of pink and blue rushed to the stage. DJ Suki handed Poppy a microphone. Branch glanced around the audience and tried not to let his nerves take over. His companion announced the performances were commencing and that she and Branch were opening with a duet and a dance.

When finished Poppy handed the microphone back to Suki and took center stage right. Branch took left. With a thumbs up from the Troll queen, Suki moved her hands across her turntables and a melodious beat began to boom through the speakers and throughout the room.

Branch and Poppy began to dance in steady rhythm, the music gradually rising to a beat. It was Branch who started out the song.

 _"I tried to disappear_  
 _But you're the only reason I'm floating here."_

They switched and Poppy took over.

 _"Eyes painted crystal clear_  
 _I can see our future through the atmosphere."_

Poppy fell silent and Branch sang the next few verses, his gaze pinned on Poppy.

 _"Don't you go, no, don't you go_  
 _Don't you know I'm up here alone_  
 _Yeah, I am like a satellite_  
 _Sending you a signal tonight."_

Poppy joined her voice with his and they clasped each others' hands, singing with each other and dancing together.

 _"Oh, oh, oh like a streak of light_  
 _Oh, oh, oh watch the world fly by_  
 _Oh, oh, oh rev your engine up_  
 _Everybody's racing at the speed of love!"_

They separated but were facing the crowd, dancing in sync during the instrumental. Some of the audience were frozen in place, staring at the two lovebirds in awe while others danced along with the performers. Poppy grinned and glanced at her companion. He returned the smile. The memory of when they danced and sang _"Can't Stop the Feeling"_ together flashed through their minds. Branch was thankful Poppy was there up onstage with him, unsure whether he would've been able to perform like this alone just yet.

When the song finished, the crowd roared with applause. Both Trolls were panting heavily. Poppy took his hand and led him in a bow before venturing off the stage. Another act was announced by Suki and the next performer took the stage.

Branch and Poppy found themselves surrounded by their friends. The Snack Pack tackled them in a group hug, congratulating their performance.

Branch suddenly found pressure from all sides. Before he was squished completely, he latched onto Poppy, wrapping his arms around her. She returned the gesture, knowing he was still getting used to group hugs and hoping she could ease his nervousness. Satin and Chenille trapped their two friends on either side while Guy Diamond, Biggie, Cooper, and the rest joined in on the outer circle. Suki, who could not participate as she was busy revving the music, winked and gave the group a thumbs up from across the room.

"You were amazing!" exclaimed Satin and Chenille together.

"Glitter-TASTIC!" sang Guy Diamond.

When Branch was able to breathe freely again, he thanked them and made his way over to the refreshment table, assuring Poppy he was alright by himself. She nodded and joined her friends in conversation.

The table was at the back of the room and was a designated "Non-Dancing Area" with plenty of water for hydration, something Branch had insisted upon. Poppy had giggled at his suggestion, but agreed to it regardless.

Catching his breath, Branch leaned against the wall with a small cup of water in his hand. Satin and Chenille had teamed up with Guy Diamond to create a vibrant performance of song, dance, and exquisite costumes. Though Branch himself had no talent or interest in costumes, he had to admit that the fashion twins had outdone themselves and Guy Diamond's glitter was a nice touch to the performance.

"What a night it's been," he mumbled with a smile.

"You're taking a break from the crowd, too?"

Branch jumped and whipped his head to the side. To his right and slightly in the shadows was a short young Troll whose skin and hair were a very light blue, even lighter than his skin. It occurred to him that he knew this Troll. Not personally, but he had often seen her around Troll village.

She was quite young, still a teenager of just sixteen, and owned the local art gallery named _Follow Your Art._ She had two most striking features: her eye color and the fact that she was always covered in paint. From Branch's perspective her left eye was dark red and her right eye colored a forest green. Tonight she was decked out in a yellow dress and purple sandals, a change from her usual white smock. A lot less paint was smeared on her than normal, but small splotches of pink, yellow, and purple could still be seen speckled in her hair.

She was painting quietly on a small canvas. Craning his head, Branch saw it was a recreation of the party with Bergens and Trolls dancing around the stage. She certainly had a good eye for detail and was very talented.

"Yeah," was Branch's reply. He watched her paint for a moment, her strokes drifting up, down, and across the page.

She turned and gave him a friendly smile. "I don't think we've ever been formerly introduced. I'm Harper." She stuck out her hand, the one not holding a paint brush.

Branch returned the gesture with a smile of his own. "Branch."

Harper laughed. "Well, I did already know who you were, but it's still nice to formally meet you. Poppy talks about you all the time."

Branch wasn't sure how to respond to that, but smiled at the thought. "So... why are you back here?" he asked. "Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I thought all the other Trolls would be out on the dance floor."

"Oh, I love to dance!" was Harper's reply. "I really do, but sometimes I get tired, so I came back here to paint. Painting helps me relax, kinda like how singing helps Poppy relax."

Branch raised a brow. "Another Troll who gets tired of dancing besides me? That's a first."

"Well, every Troll is different. I love dancing and I love singing, but I also love painting, and it's hard to do both at the same time. And sometimes crowds can get a little... _overwhelming_."

"I can relate," said Branch. He stared out at the crowd, deep in thought. "I think my grandma once said there was a name for that... maybe it was introvert?"

Harper looked at him curiously. "What does that mean?"

"If I remember correctly, I think it's someone who gets tired after spending time with others.

"I've never heard of it," remarked the painter. She suddenly smiled. "But now that I think of it, maybe I'm partially introverted, or maybe I'm both. I don't know. I like being with my friends but I also like being alone to paint... is there a word for that?"

"Ambivert, I think."

"I suppose I'm that. Hmm... what do you call someone like Poppy who always spends time with others?"

"Extrovert."

"Your grandma must've been really smart."

Branch turned to glance at the young Troll. A small, sad smile touched his mouth. "Yeah... she was smart. She was... pretty amazing."

"I'm sorry, by the way."

He turned his head to face her in surprise. "About what?"

"About your grandma." Harper's own expression turned melancholy. "Poppy told me what happened, and I'm sorry you had to go through that at such a young age."

"Oh, thanks. It's okay though..."

"I know what that's like," she said suddenly. Branch looked at her in surprise. She nodded and continued, "I mean, my mom and dad weren't eaten by Bergens, but... they went out to explore outside of the old Troll Village when I was twelve. They loved to adventure. I was left temporarily in the care of my aunt, and after awhile... they never came back. That's actually why I've lived alone for the past couple years. I did try to find them, but my search was unsuccessful, so... I had to accept that they were gone forever."

Branch looked at her sadly. "I'm so sorry," he murmured. Inwardly he was shocked. Someone else actually understood how he felt? "But... how'd you keep your color? Didn't you turn gray? How did you deal with it?"

A small small formed on Harper's lips. "I did turn gray for about a week, but my friends helped me through it. Poppy and the Snack Pack were extremely supportive. They're really wonderful friends."

Branch shifted his gaze to Poppy, who was near the stage talking animatedly to the Snack Pack. He smiled. _She is amazing_ , he thought.

"Oh, hey Branch!" A new voice filled the air. Branch looked up. It was Bridget. Her eyes were shining and she was out of breath. She must've been dancing like crazy. "What're you up to?" she asked. "Hiding from crowds again?"

Harper quickly returned to her painting.

The blue Troll frowned at the Bergen. "No, I'm just... taking a break."

Bridget busied herself pouring a glass of punch. "Well, good job on your performance! You and Poppy were amazing!" Her face suddenly lit up. "Oh my gosh, you'll never guess what just happened to me!"

"What?"

There were stars in her eyes. "King Gristle asked me to marry him! I'm so excited I could just scream! Isn't that amazing?"

Branch didn't look too impressed. "Well... congratulations, but... don't you think you're rushing things a bit? I mean, you've only been together for a month." He sipped his water.

Bridget didn't appear to take his words to heart. "No, it's perfect. It's true love after all! Goodness, I'm surprised you'd say that, considering you and Poppy-"

Branch suddenly found himself choking on his water. Harper gasped and dropped her paintbrush. She proceeded to thump him on the back, hoping he wouldn't gag to death. He coughed and sucked in several long breaths. "M-me... and P-Poppy?" he spluttered. "What about us?"

It was Bridget's turn to frown. "Wait, what do you mean what about you and her? Aren't you two together? You said you loved her, didn't you?"

Branch's eyes were wide as saucers. "Er, yes, but.. how do you know that?"

"I heard you singing to her back when you were trapped in that pot." She scrutinized the blue Troll's shocked demeanor. "You mean you're not together? You haven't asked her out yet? I'd almost think you two would be engaged sooner than I was. I mean, everyone can see it! You two are infatuated with each other!"

"Well, I... we've been busy." Branch tugged at the collar of his vest nervously. The last thing he wanted was to discuss his love life with Bridget, not to mention Harper was nearby almost certainly listening to their conversation. "She's been busy with her duties as queen and I've been helping her. We just... we've just been busy."

He gulped and looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. Still, he realized that he and Poppy had indeed not seemed to have made any step in their relationship. He... he wasn't even quite sure _what_ they were. He had said he loved her in song. It was the truth, but afterward Poppy had been roped into her busy duties as queen. He helped whenever he could. He was sure there were times when they'd flirted, and he was sure they had _almost_ kissed just minutes ago, but... maybe that was just because they'd been caught up in the moment. After all, nothing before that had really happened besides him singing of his love for her. It was all so _confusing._

 _What are we?_ he wondered. _Just friends? More?_ His thoughts flitted back to earlier that day when Poppy had said he was "everything to her." He hoped she'd meant more than a friend.

* * *

 **Fun Fact: There's actually a while book about Harper released by Dreamworks that narrates her short journey about when she opens her art gallery. I read the whole thing and I really thought that she and Branch would get along well because she shows some introverted characteristics herself. I completely made up her backstory, so that's not canon. In the movie she looks very young but in the book she lives alone with just a pet flower, so I took attributes from the movie and book and tried to make a sensible backstory as to why she was young but lived alone. It also gives her some way to connect with Branch on a personal level. I actually don't know what her canon age is. I don't think Dreamworks has revealed that, so I tried to make her old enough to take care of herself but young enough so her age might make sense with how young she appears in the movie.**

 **Thanks for reading! Until next time!**


	3. Anxiety and a Journal

**A/N: I'm so glad you guys are enjoying this so far! I'm having fun writing this :) This chapter's kinda sad, but so much happens in it! We get a little more insight into Poppy's mental state and Branch finds out something huge!  
**

 **neomoon585: I'm glad you like how I added Harper! I love her character and I'm glad you can relate to her. I certainly hope I'm doing her character justice in this story!**

 **Guest: No problem! I'll update as often as I can!**

 **everydaywonderful: Thank you! That means a lot :) Here's your next chapter!**

 **FALFAL: Aren't they so cute? My heart was melting with feels as I wrote the Broppy adorableness. I can't even take how cute they are ^.^ They're so fun to write! And speaking of Owl City, that's not the last Owl City song that'll be featured in this story. I have another one in mind that's coming in future chapters!**

 **Abbie51304: Yes, the title is a reference to the song "Beautiful Thing" by the lovely Grace Vanderwaal! You'll find out why in future chapters actually. The song will be featured at some point :)**

 **I hope everyone likes it!**

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 **Chapter 3: Anxiety and a Journal**

"Come on, Poppy," the pink Troll said to herself as she sat alone in her pod. "Think, think, _think_. You're queen now. You have to come up with some kind of solution! What are we going to do about the food problem?"

Summer was nearing an end and the chilly atmosphere of fall was beginning to settle in. Trolls were beginning to dress differently, starting to trade their summer dresses and shorts in favor of warmer clothing. Satin and Chenille were having the time of their lives making outfits for the new season. While some Trolls only desired something that would keep them from freezing, others were more fashion-savvy and gladly let the twins design their fall outfits Still, the local fashion twins always managed to add some type of unique flair or design to any outfit, even the simple ones. While some Trolls were starting to dress for fall, others still wore their summer clothes. The Glitter Trolls like Guy Diamond, who were almost always bare, were especially trying to enjoy the warm weather as long as possible.

The Troll Tree was starting to pale in its color as it sensed the colder season was coming, but as long as the Trolls were living in and taking care of it, it wouldn't die. The Troll Tree, however, was currently the least of Poppy's worries.

Many Trolls had come to her within the past couple weeks asking how they were going to get through winter. Thanks to the move back into the old Troll Tree right in the middle of Bergen Town, it was harder to transport food from the old village. Poppy hoped the Bergens would help them out, but tensions were a little high between the Trolls and Bergens at the moment. She wasn't sure she wanted to ask the Bergens for help just yet. Just that morning an older Bergen had almost stepped on two young Trolls of only four and five who had been playing in the middle of a Bergen Town street. The Bergen had yelled at the children, causing a huge commotion. Poppy was just grateful she and Bridget were able to calm the Bergen down before he got even more angry.

 _All the Bergens seemed to be happy last night at the party,_ Poppy thought with a heavy heart.

The event had dampened Poppy's whole morning, and she wasn't feeling any better at the current hour of noon. After the stressful happening she had decided to seek out Branch, hoping for advice and possibly some comfort, but discovered a disheartening note on his door:

 _Poppy,_  
 _I've gone to visit my grandma's old pod today. I'll probably be gone all morning and possibly the afternoon, but I should be back by evening. I'll see you later today!_  
 _-Branch_

It looked like he had erased and rewritten the end several times before deciding to just sign it with his name. With a sigh Poppy tucked the note away and went back to her own pod. _I guess I'll have to solve this on my own for now,_ she thought.

"But I can't blame him," she murmured to herself sternly. "He's been avoiding going to Rosiepuff's old pod for weeks now since we moved back in. It's good that he's gone to try and make peace with her death, especially now that he's colorful and letting himself feel things again. You should be happy for him, Poppy!"

Still, she couldn't shake the heaviness she felt, like a gray cloud hanging over her head, not quite raining but not quite bright and sunny either. She really wanted a hug at the moment, preferably from Branch.

"Poppy-" came a voice behind her.

"-Who are you talking to?" asked another voice very similar to the first one. Immediately Poppy knew who they were.

Satin and Chenille were peeking into her pod, giving her curious looks.

"Oh, hi, Satin! Hi, Chenille!" Poppy turned to them with a forced smile. "Come on in! What's up?"

"We stopped by to ask about your fall outfit," explained Satin.

"But we heard you talking to someone. Are you okay?" Chenille added.

The queen gave them a sheepish smile and laughed halfheartedly. "Oh, that! I was actually just talking to myself, trying to figure out the whole food issue. I'm fine though."

The two fashionistas exchanged glances between each other, like they were having a silent conversation. They did that a lot, but whether the two could speak through their minds or not, their exchange didn't appear happy. They studied Poppy with expressions of worry and confusion. Poppy swallowed nervously. What were they thinking?

It was Chenille who finally spoke up. "Poppy... are you sure you're alright? You've been in your pod for hours-"

"-and even though we came to inquire about your autumn outfit, maybe we should save that for another time," finished Satin.

They approached their queen slowly and each placed a gentle hand on her shoulders. They looked her with compassion. "What's really wrong?" Chenille inquired gently.

Poppy let out a sigh. "It's just... this morning was a little hard. I mean, two little Trolls almost got killed! And then the Bergen got furious and I thought he was going to start getting violent. It was good that Bridget made it when she did and we were able to work things out, but it was still scary."

She stopped to take a hiccupy breath, but she continued, "And I'm queen now but I don't always know what to do. I mean, people keep asking me, 'Poppy, Poppy, what are we going to do about this?' and I don't always know what to do. And then I went to find Branch because he's been helpful before..." She hiccuped. Tears began to gather at the rims of her eyes. It was becoming harder for her to breath freely as her nose was getting runny. "But he's gone to visit his grandma's old pod today, and then someone stopped by to ask what we're going to do about food for the winter, and so I've been trying to think of solutions but I can't think of anything and Branch isn't here and I know I shouldn't be upset about that but being queen's been really hard lately and..." She choked on a sob and had to stop rambling or risk hyperventilating to death.

Satin and Chenille murmured frantically between each other and immediately drew her into a hug. "Poppy, Poppy, it's alright!" Chenille consoled.

Satin drew back from their embrace and looked at her friend with a comforting gaze. "Sugar, it's alright. You're overthinking things and you need a break."

"Yeah," agreed her sister. She took Poppy's hand and gestured to the door. "Come on, hon, let's get you out of this stuffy pod so you can clear your head."

"You're stressed," said Satin. "But it's ok, sugar! Like Chenille said, let's get you out of here so you can cool down. You deserve it. Ooh, I know! Let's get ice cream! That always cheers me up when I'm having an off day!"

"Yeah!" Chenille agreed. "Let's go get some ice cream at Mocha's ice cream shop. She's always open, even in winter!"

The twins each took Poppy's hands and gestured toward the door. Poppy's bottom lip curled up in the slightest smile. She sniffled and wiped the moisture from her eyes. "Yeah, that sounds... good. Ice cream sounds nice right now."

The three began to make their way out the door. "By the way," Poppy said as they ventured onward. "I'm sorry for breaking down like that. It's just... there's just been a lot happening lately."

"It's okay, sugar!" Satin assured her.

"Oh hon, it's completely understandable. You just need a break, that's all!" Chenille gave her a comforting smile.

Poppy smiled. She really had the best friends one could ever ask for.

* * *

Branch stood at the opening of Rosiepuff's former Troll pod. It was in the same Troll Tree that he lived in, for goodness' sake, but it had taken him weeks to even work up the courage to come near it, let alone go inside, but here he was about to do just that.

The pod was quite large and was a gradient of light purple fading into minty blue at the top, the same colors of his grandma. However, it had lost much of its bright appearance, almost like the pod itself had sensed its occupant was gone and lost its color over time, like a Troll turned gray. Rosiepuff's old clothes line hung nearby. No outfits hung on it now.

Branch gulped as he stared at the clothes line. _Grandma had been hanging clothes when my singing caused her death_ , he thought gloomily. With a shaky demeanor he turned away and pressed his hand against the door, pushing it open and forcing his unsteady legs to walk him inside.

The inner room was eerily dim and gloomy. It was even grayer inside, like the dark had absorbed the purple and blue colors. Rosiepuff's bed sat in the corner next to a shelf of old books and a chest containing who-knows-what. Old forgotten toys lay scattered in various places of the room. Her pod was large and she once had run a daycare before her death. Branch could almost hear the old echoes of when he and the other kids laughed and played in this very pod, haunting him like memories of the past whispering in his ear.

 _Don't think of that,_ he mentally told himself. _That was years ago. You have friends now. You've got Poppy._

He suddenly flinched. Thoughts of Poppy also brought back the memory of last night's conversation with Bridget. He desperately wanted whatever he had with Poppy to become something more, but something held him back. He wasn't quite sure what it was, but he didn't like the feeling, whatever it was.

He could imagine a whole lifetime with her. Getting married. Becoming a father. He hadn't thought much of having little Trolls of his own, but the idea seemed very appealing, if just the slightest bit intimidating. A blush creeped up his face. _Silly_ , he thought. _You and Poppy aren't even together or anything._ At least that's what he assumed. Oh, how he desperately wanted Poppy by his side forever, but what if that didn't happen? What if...?

Branch shuddered and shoved the thoughts aside. No, he was here to make peace with Rosiepuff's death, not to think about the potential future. Right now he had to make peace with his grandma's death. He'd been avoiding this for the past month and now was the time to finally get over his sadness. He blinked back tears. He may have found some peace when he broke down in front of Poppy, the Snack Pack, and Bridget when they had comforted him in the castle, back when he was still gray, but an emptiness still gaped at his heart. He wondered if maybe a Rosiepuff-shaped hole would always be in his soul. Probably.

A wave of sadness washed over him. He did have friends now, but... he rather wished for a family, too. Even Poppy still had her father and most of the Snack Pack's parents were still alive. He didn't even have parents. Rosiepuff had said they'd been eaten by Bergens.

A sudden thought question crossed his mind: what were they like? He barely remembered them. Rosiepuff didn't talk about them much. She didn't seem to like talking about them whenever he asked as a child, so he never knew much about them. Maybe he'd find some answers among her old possessions.

His attention turned to the chest beside her bed. It was purple and blue and covered in years of dust. Taking a deep breath, Branch kneeled in front of the chest and blew across the top. The dust fluttered off in a small hazy cloud of gray. Popping the lock, he opened the lid. It creaked open with its rusty hinges.

The chest was mostly full of old toys and photos of the kids she used to look after, but one item caught his eye: a purple journal with a sweet little heart-shaped lock. It wasn't, however, the type of lock that required any type of key or pick to open. In fact, the lock was more like a latch to keep the journal closed.

He flipped through the book casually. It didn't contain much, mostly some of Rosiepuff's old family recipes and recounts of her daily life looking after young Troll kids, but about halfway through something fell to the ground beside him. He picked it up, expecting to see an old photo of Troll kids or a recipe of some sort, but what he saw almost made him choke. He stared at the paper, eyes and mouth wide.

It was a photo, a very old one in fact. The colors were a little washed out with age, but could still be made out quite well. A female and a male Troll could be seen hugging and looking at each other. The girl had blue skin and even deeper blue hair, a lot like Branch's hair, though hers had a bluebell flower tucked into it. A sweet smile adorned her face. Her eyes were also blue, just like Branch's eyes. She wore a simple purple dress that was the same shade as Rosiepuff's skin.

And speaking of Rosiepuff, this Troll bared an uncanny resemblance to his beloved grandma. They had the same nose and facial structure.

Branch turned his attention to the male Troll in the picture. His skin was light green and he had brown hair like that of tree bark. His hair was slightly unkempt and he wore brown overalls. A rather goofy grin was on the male Troll's face. He rather looked like a farmer, or someone who at least spent a lot of time outdoors. Branch gasped as he saw a similarity between this Troll's facial structure and his own. He and this Troll shared the same jaw shape and the same large nose.

"Mom... Dad..." Branch whispered as he brought a finger to feel the photo. It was just a picture and felt like old ink and paper, but he couldn't help feeling as if he reached out far enough, maybe he could take their hands and bring them back into the world.

He shook his head and suddenly chided himself for thinking of something so silly.

He flipped the picture over. _"Bell and Spruce: True Love Forever,"_ it said in a fancy scrawl. Yes, those were his parents names he remembered. Branch chuckled. The message written on it was cheesy, but he loved it. He wondered who wrote it. It certainly wasn't Rosiepuff's handwriting. It must have been either his mother or father's hand.

Branch hugged the photo to his chest, blinking back tears. "I wish I had known you," he murmured to the photo. "I wonder if Grandma wrote about what happened to you both. She never told me."

He shifted his attention back to his grandmother's journal and began to scan the page the photo had fallen out of.

 _I miss Bell and Spruce so much,_ Rosiepuff had written. Branch smiled and continued reading.

 _But it's possible I may not have to miss them much longer._

Branch perked up, his attention caught. What did Rosiepuff mean about "no longer?" He read on. His eyes grew wider and wider as he flipped through the entries of the journal.

 _I found Bell's hug time bracelet lying on the forest ground when I went out to bring flowers to her memorial stone. She... she disappeared almost as soon as Spruce went into the forest._

 _I thought they were both gone, either eaten by Bergens or fallen prey to the dangers of the forest, but then I found her bracelet in a place where I KNOW it wasn't there before. Could this mean that she's alive?_

There was a more recent entry dated one week later.

 _I've been searching the forest every day for the past week, but sadly I haven't found her or Spruce. I did, however, find footprints! I'm not sure where they led. After sometime they were washed out by the rain, but that gives me hope!_

 _Spruce went out to find her bluebell flowers (those are so rare nowadays) to celebrate Branch's birth. He never came back and so Bell went to find him, leaving little Branch in my care. That was two years ago, and I haven't seen either of them since._

 _It was awful. I almost turned gray with grief, but I can't be gray and raise my grandson. It's hard, but he's kept me from losing my color. He's the light of my life and he reminds me so much of Bell when she was little. He's learning to talk and walk, too. Just the other day he babbled, "I wuv you, Gwamma!" and my heart just about melted!_

 _But I'm getting off track. Anyway... I... I've been searching every day for the past week and I'm hoping that she and Spruce might still be alive._

Branch whipped the page over to the next entry.

 _It's been two weeks now and I'm growing more tired with each passing day. Looking and chasing after energetic children has kept me pretty fit over the years, but I'm still getting older. I haven't found anymore signs of Bell besides her bracelet and the footprints and I'm so tired of searching.  
_

 _Perhaps it was just wishful thinking. That bracelet might be anyone's hug time bracelet. Every Troll has one after all, though this one I found looks so much like Bell's. I suppose the prints may have also been another Troll's footprints. We do have some adventurous Trolls who like to explore the forest sometimes._

 _An old woman can dream._

Branch's breath was caught in his throat. His eyes were wide as saucers, his brows arched as high as his hairline. He flipped ahead to a later entry. It was dated two years later, the day before Rosiepuff was eaten. Trembling, Branch read the passage.

 _Branch is four now. He's singing constantly and it's so beautiful. His voice is like an angel's, just like his mother and father's voices!_

 _Branch sometimes asks about Mommy and Daddy, about what they were like. I told him they were eaten by Bergens and leave it at that. He doesn't know about when I thought I found signs that Bell was still alive two years ago. I'll tell him some day, but not yet. He's too young. He deserves to have a happy childhood without me giving him any false hopes about Mom and Dad._

That was the last entry. The journal was blank after that passage and Branch knew exactly what had happened the day after. It was seared into his mind like a scar upon skin.

But Rosiepuff's death was not what was on his mind. He suddenly stood up and began pacing around the room. "Grandma never found anymore signs of Bell... of Mom," he said to himself. "But she lost hope and stopped looking."

Branch thrust Rosiepuff's pod door open and planted his feet on her doorstep, the journal tucked under his arm. "My parents might still be alive," he said. "I have to find them, but..." he trailed off and grabbed at his ears nervously. "What if I'm just being stupid and this is all wishful thinking?"

 _Poppy would want you to try,_ the thought crossed his mind. _After all, she hoped Creek was alive and she turned out to be right._

He could almost hear Poppy giving him a hug and telling him that he should have hope. "Let's find them!" she'd tell him.

Branch shoved the journal into his hair. "I have to at least try," he decided as he raced toward his pod.


	4. Not Alone

**A/N:**

 **Abbie51305: Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying it so far :) Well, as for Poppy's going with Branch, this chapter might just bring an answer for that.**

 **Ezza: Yep, Poppy's responsibilities are taking a toll on her for the moment. Don't worry, she'll be getting a break from them pretty soon.** **And as for Branch's parents, well, telling you anything before it happens would ruin it, so we shall just have to wait and see!**

 **Neomoon585: Yep, being a leader is usually difficult, and Poppy's realizing just how hard it can be. But don't worry, like I wrote above to Ezza, she'll be getting a break soon.  
Thank you! I love writing for the Trolls universe. Now if only I could get paid for writing fanfiction, my life would be complete XD  
**

 **FALFAL: Well, I'm always one who likes to write happy endings, but who knows? I'm not revealing anything just yet. We will find out their situation eventually, but first Branch has to actually search for them.**

 **Anyway, I hope y'all enjoy! Thanks for reviewing and reading! It's greatly appreciated!**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Not Alone**

It was mid-afternoon by the time Branch reached his pod. He stopped by Poppy's and frantically knocked on her door. "Poppy, I need to talk to you!" he cried.

Silence. He heard no movement and no sweet voice of his crush answering him. Pushing the door open gently, he peaked inside. No one was home. He sighed. "I can't wait," he murmured to himself, jogging back to his own pod.

His blue home, though it contained the bare essentials, wasn't nearly so grand as Poppy's. He had a stack of books, a bed, a desk, some old poems, and the like, but that was about it. Sometimes he'd long for the old security of his bunker. It was solid and safe, not hanging and moving with the breeze like his current home.

Branch rushed around, hurriedly packing what little he had into a backpack, but the most important thing, Rosiepuff's journal, was still tucked neatly into his hair. It was safest there. If he lost his pack, then at least he'd still have the journal so he could follow his grandmother's old entries detailing where she had looked. She'd even drawn a visual map of where she'd looked for Bell and Spruce. Branch smiled at the thought. He must've gotten some of his survival instincts from her.

 _I'll have to stop at my bunker to get some better supplies on the way,_ he thought as he rushed to his door.

He suddenly stopped with a start. "Maybe I should tell Poppy before I go," he considered, beginning to pace around the room. "But then she'll insist on coming along!" he pointed out. "And it's dangerous in the forest. Last time she went out on her own she almost got eaten by spiders! If I hadn't found her, she would've died!" He shuddered. "No, I can't let her come along. She might get killed and... I can't lose anyone else." His voice lowered to a whisper. "Not after Grandma. Not again."

He sprinted back to Poppy's pod with a piece of paper and a pencil in his hands, scribbling frantically:

 _Poppy,_  
 _I've gone to find my parents. I discovered something in my grandma's pod that led me to think they might still be alive. I'll be back in a few days._  
 _-Branch_

Finishing the note, he tacked it to Poppy's door before turning away to rush off toward the old Troll Village.

He didn't get far, unfortunately, as another figure clashed into him and he suddenly found himself lying on his back. "Oof!" Branch sat up slowly, rubbing his forehead. "Ow..." He glanced wearily at the person he'd run into. A bright and glittered figure stared back, looking just as surprised as Branch was.

"Branch?" Guy Diamond stared at his friend's odd state, eyeing the pack slung over his shoulders. He steadily got to his foot and extended a hand to help Branch to his own feet. "Where are you going in such a hurry?"

"To find my parents!" Branch cried quickly as he started to take off again.

Guy grabbed his shoulder. "Wait, Branch, what are you talking about? What about your parents? What's going on?"

An impatient scowl crossed the blue Troll's face. "Look, I don't have time to explain. All I can say is that I think my parents might still be alive and I'm going to try finding them. I'll be back soon. I should only be gone for a few days. Please, tell Poppy not to worry and to NOT follow me, okay?"

He tried to sprint away a second time, but Guy stopped him again. "But Branch, what are you even talking about? I thought your mom and dad passed away years ago and... you're just going alone? Just like that? Have you even _told_ Poppy or anyone else?"

Branch pushed Guy's hand away from his shoulder. "No," he stated. "And I intend to keep it that way." He turned away. "Please, don't follow me and don't tell Poppy about this. It's way too dangerous!" He turned and sprinted away before Guy could say anything else.

It was very rare to see Guy Diamond with a frown on his face, but he wore one now. "Like hair I'm going to sit here and say nothing. Poppy has to know about this!" Guy turned and ran, calling the queen's name as loud as his lungs allowed.

* * *

"Where did he go?" Poppy inquired, a bewildered expression on her face. She and four of her friends were gathered at her pod. She held Branch's note in her hands, reading it over and over. Her fists were clenched together tightly, creating crinkles in the paper.

"He ran toward the direction of the old Troll Village, but I didn't follow him because I went to get you," Guy said rather sadly. "I didn't see him use the escape tunnels though. He must've gone through Bergen Town.

"What caused him to run off like this?" asked the fashion twins.

"He went to find his parents," said Harper, who had joined them for ice cream. "Wouldn't you go and find them if you had the chance? That's what I did."

Everyone turned to look at her with sad eyes. They all knew the fate of Harper's own parents. They were the ones who had helped her through the loss, after all. With droopy ears they all nodded slowly. If anything, she understood the most and had a fair point.

"Harper's right," Poppy spoke up, her voice lower than normal.

The twins eyed her suspiciously. "Poppy... are you alright?" Chenille asked gently.

The queen's eyes were hard, her lips a thin line. "I'm fine, but I am not letting him do this on his own." She turned to address everyone present. "Come on, guys, let's go talk to my father and let him know what's going on, then we need to find Branch. We'll check the trail to Bergen Town."

* * *

Tired and attempting to conserve his energy, Branch slowed his sprint to a steady jog. He had made it to the field just surrounding Bergen Town and now felt relatively confident he wouldn't be found. He had considered taking the old escape tunnels, but they might've been too dangerous and lead him astray, whereas if he traveled through and out of Bergen Town he'd know the exact way to Troll Village.

He took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet scent of nature. It had been a while since he'd truly gone out and explored, not since they moved back in. The solitude was nice. The sun was starting to get low on the horizon, but dusk had not yet begun. Flowers with faces humming little tunes watched curiously as Branch strolled through. Bugs in his path skittered out of the way.

A grin settled on Branch's face and he began to sing softly. " _I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose. Fire away, fire away..._ " A small laugh escaped his mouth. "Oh geez, Poppy got that silly song stuck in my head!" He shook his head. He'd rather hear the sound of silence than listen to that song one more time!

It must have been at least an hour or two when a distant voice, several distant voices in fact, met Branch's ears. They were calling desperately. "What in the...?" Branch turned to look back, but the tall grass blocked his view. A groan drifted from his mouth. He planted his hands on one of the flowers. Gingerly pulling on the leaves of the flower, he hoisted himself up and began to climb.

He reached the top in seconds and planted his feet firmly on the flower's circular middle. Standing on the petals was too risky. They might break, even for a small Troll like himself. Putting his hand over his eyes to block out the sun, he peered out across the field. Though Bergen Town was far in the distance, it was still visible.

Also visible were five figures making their way rapidly through the grass. Three of them were of bluish hue, one especially sparkling. The two others were pink in color, but one was way more vibrant. Branch groaned. He'd know that vibrant pink figure with a spring in her step anywhere.

Poppy and some of her friends were making their way toward him. _How did they find me so fast?_ Their speed was dangerously quick. At this rate they'd catch up to him in just a few minutes. "Branch!" they cried at the top of their lungs, Poppy especially. "Where are you?

"Wait, I see something!" one of them called. It looked and sounded like Harper. She was attempting to peer over the tops of the flowers from the ground. Her figure suddenly raised a hand and gestured toward Branch's direction. "Poppy, I think I see Branch!"

Five pairs of heads turned to look in his direction. "Oh no!" Branch cried as he ducked down, trying to flatten himself against the petals of the flower.

"It moved! It _is_ Branch!"

"No, no, no, NO!" Branch slid down the stem as fast as he could and sprinted in the opposite direction of his friends. "Please go back, Poppy!" he murmured more to himself than anyone else.

"Branch, stop!" Poppy's voice was steadily growing louder. He swallowed thickly. She must be getting closer.

Branch was now running at full speed, zipping through the grass. He ducked under the low hanging pieces of grass and flower stems. The footsteps behind him increased in volume.

A flash of pink suddenly burst out of the grass behind him and hit him full force on the back. "Gah!" Branch found himself tackled to the ground. He and the figure flew through the air and across the ground. They rolled through the dirt, coated with a thin layer of brown dust. Tumbling forward several inches, they came to a stop with Branch on his back and Poppy on top. He stared at her with wide eyes, realizing just how embarrassing their position was. Thanks to her not-so-graceful tackling she was right on _top_ of him.

She pushed herself up and peered down at him for a brief moment. A glare was on her face. Branch frowned back. "Poppy, what are you doing here?"

The queen stood up, pulling Branch with her. She planted her hands on his shoulders and stared him down. "Branch," she began sternly. "What do you mean what am I doing here? You're the one who just ran off on us!" She pulled a crumpled piece of paper from her hair, the note he'd left on her door. "And what's this about your parents?" she demanded.

From the surrounding herbage emerged the four other figures of the twins, Guy Diamond, and Harper. Unlike Poppy, they didn't look annoyed, but more curious. Whispers of concern passed between them.

A slow sigh drifted off Branch's mouth. There was no way he'd be able to get out of this now. Poppy had caught him and from the looks of her steeled expression she wasn't too happy. She stared him down expectantly. He relented.

"Okay fine." Branch pulled his grandmother's journal from his hair and showed her the cover. "I was at my grandma's old Troll pod when I find this, her old journal. At first I thought it was just any old journal where she wrote down her day-to-day life, but I discovered something else." He opened to the page of the map. "She found clues that my mom and dad might be still alive and... I wanted to try finding them."

"How do you even know they're alive? I mean, wouldn't they have returned to the village years ago if that were the case?" Guy Diamond piped up.

Branch's face turned downcast. "I... I don't know. I'm... I'm just hoping that they're still out there. I don't actually have any solid evidence, just old details my grandma left."

Poppy's previously stern expression had vanished and she was now gazing at Branch with a smile of sympathy. "Wow... Branch, your parents might actually be alive? That's amazing! However... we're going to go with you!"

Branch's eyes grew wide and his brows shot up to his hairline. "What? No. You can't come along!"

"What? Branch, why not? It's great that you want to find your parents, but _alone?_ No way."

"Poppy, please, just let me handle this by myself!"

"No."

"I'm not letting you come with me, Poppy!"

"And I'm not letting you go alone, Branch!"

"Poppy, you don't get it!"

They were both standing squarely, hands on their hips, facing each other with hard glares. "What don't I get, Branch?" Poppy demanded.

"I..."

"You what?"

Branch swallowed hard, glancing at their audience. The last thing he wanted was for them to witness him have a fight with Poppy. He turned to the queen, his voice trembling. "I... I can't do this. Not here." He suddenly stepped forward and grasped her arm gently. His voice dropped several decibels. "Can... can we talk somewhere more private?" His whole demeanor changed with that question. He looked at her with pleading eyes.

Poppy's expression softened. "Ok," she relented, gesturing him to lead the way. She glanced back at her friends.

They gave her worried but slow nods of understandment. They'd heard the panic in Branch's voice. They knew he still had a difficult time opening up. People didn't change overnight after all.

Branch led her through a clump of shrubs, pushing aside the plant stems so Poppy wouldn't get smacked in the face as she followed him. The sun was beginning to set and a small cold wind began to blow through the field. Poppy shivered, earning herself a glance of concern from her blue companion, but she quickly reassured him she was fine.

Once they were out of sight, Branch turned to face her. His gaze was on his feet and his hands clutched the backpack straps tightly against his shoulders. The tension pressed down on both of them from all sides, but Branch especially. He chewed his bottom lip, his heart thundering in his chest. Poppy gently touched his shoulder. His eyes met hers. She hoped the blush dusting her face when he gazed at her wasn't obvious. Opening her mouth, she softly asked, "What's wrong?"

He looked hesitant. "You can't come with me," he insisted.

Her scowl returned. _Not this again._ "Why?"

Branch returned her scowl with a glare of his own. "It's too dangerous!"

"Branch, like I said before, I'm not letting you do this alone! Why are you being so stubborn all of a sudden? What could possibly happen?"

"Oh, you want to know what could happen? Just watch as one of us falls into an unsuspecting trap or gets eaten by a wild animal! Besides, don't you have responsibilities as queen to take care of?"

"I already told my dad I might be gone for a few days. He's willing to look after everything while I'm gone, so why are you so against me going with you?"

"Poppy, _please..._ "

"Why, Branch? What aren't you telling me?"

"I... uh..." he trailed off.

But Poppy was persistent. She always was. " _Branch..._ "

Branch's eyes glistened with unshed moisture. "I... I..." His words hung in the air, unfinished, unable to voice his concerns.

Suddenly he lunged forward and threw his arms around her tightly. Letting out a startled squeak, Poppy froze as he clung to her. His embrace was tight and he was shaking. Gradually she wrapped her own arms around him and returned his embrace. "Hey..." she began, her anger at him completely forgotten. "Branch, what's up?"

He drew back and didn't meet her gaze, but his hands remained snaked around her sides. "I'm... I'm afraid," he finally confessed. "Poppy, what if... what if something happened to you? Or one of your friends? I don't know if my parents are still alive, but if they are they're a long way off through a dangerous forest. You were almost eaten by spiders the last time you traveled through nature and winter's coming. What if we got lost? What if we got separated? What if...?" He paused to wipe his wet eyelids.

"Oh, Branch." Poppy wrapped her arms around him even tighter, hoping to give him reassurance. She drew back quicker than he wanted her to, but her hand drifted up to touch his cheek ever so softly. He shivered, her touch sending a tingling feeling down his spine. His stomach felt like it was performing acrobatic flips amongst a rabble of butterflies. _Oh, I really want to kiss you,_ he thought.

"Don't be afraid," Poppy continued. "Nothing's going to happen to me, or you, or any of our friends. As long as we stick together, we can make it, but... I'm still not letting you do this alone."

Branch sighed. "But..."

"No buts, Branch."

"Alright, you can come, but..."

" _Branch._ "

"However," he corrected himself. "Please, just promise me one thing."

"What's that?"

"Promise me you'll be careful and won't take any unnecessary risks while we're travelling." He looked her in the eyes, silently begging her to agree.

She smiled softly. "I promise." She again threw her arms around him. "Don't worry Branch, after all..."

He eyed her with confusion. "What?"

She stepped back, eyeing him with a teasing gaze, and began to sing, _"I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose. Fire away, fire away..."_

Branch let out a groan. "Really? That song _AGAIN_?"

"Yes, really!" Poppy burst into a fit of giggles.

Branch couldn't help chuckling as they walked back to their friends. She led the way and he was happy to watch her skip along and sing playfully, falling even deeper in love with the pink queen. Privately he was glad she was in front of him, otherwise she'd almost certainly notice the blush on his cheeks and the dreamy look on his face.

* * *

 **4/13/2017 Edit: One of my reviewers pointed out that in the original draft they caught up with Branch quite fast and that was an oversight on my part, so I changed a tiny bit of Guy's dialogue to help make it seem more believable. Thanks for pointing that out, BornOnTheBreakOfDawn!  
**


	5. Operation Matchmaker

**A/N: I hope this isn't dragging on too slow for you readers. I'm not even halfway through the story yet. Don't worry though, things should be picking up in another chapter or two! Plus, we've still got a lot of Broppy to go through :)**

 **Slugbait: Thank you so much, Slugbait! I'm glad you like it :D**

 **BornOnTheBreakOfDawn: You have the coolest name BTW, and I know right! Aren't they so cute? Sooner or later my heart's just going to melt from all these Broppy moments I'm writing for this story XD And BTW, thanks for pointing out the unusually fast time they caught up with Branch. Hopefully my minor changes to the last chapter made it more believable.**

 **Neomoon585: Poppy just doesn't stay still, does she? She was bound to find him sooner or later. While it is good that Branch expressed his fears, I'm afraid he'll also be struggling with them during this fic...**

 **Abbie51304: Glad you like Harper :D She's fun to write! And there's plenty more Broppy to come! This chapter has some, too!**

 **FALFAL: Branch is downright adorable in my humble opinion XD However, his fears and worries aren't going to be easy for him to deal with. It'll be more evident as the story goes on.**

 **Maipayperz: Thanks for the review! I hope you enjoy the story :D**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Operation Matchmaker**

"So I've been wondering," Branch started as the six of them all made their way through the shrubs. Poppy wanted to go back and take all their friends, but Branch requested not to. The fewer people who came, the better in his mind. Plus, they were already a fair distance from Bergen Town. It was growing smaller the further away they got.

"How did you catch up to me so fast?" Branch finished. "I was gone for at least an hour before you showed up."

"We were in a huge hurry," Poppy explained, a small smile dotting her face. "Besides, I wasn't about to let you run off on me without telling anyone, especially after the day I had."

"I told Guy Diamond," Branch defended himself, but his eyes widened quickly as he processed the last part she had said. "Wait, after the day you had? What happened?"

Poppy found herself suddenly engrossed in her surroundings. She placed a hand over her eyes to peer at the dawn. The sun was dipping below the horizon, fading fast. "It's getting pretty dark," she commented, turning to Branch with a warm smile, seemingly oblivious to his question. "Maybe we should think about stopping for the night. Waddaya say, Branch?"

A frown crossed the blue Troll's face. "Well, perhaps, but that doesn't-"

"Great!" she interrupted, snapping her fingers. "Ooh, I know!" She turned to Branch, still smiling.

 _This is rather unnatural,_ he thought, eyeing her composure with suspicion.

"How about you and Guy Diamond go find us some firewood while Harper, Satin, Chenille, and I set up a place for us all to sleep for the night!" She was quick to push him and Guy toward a random direction. "Go on! We'll set up while you're gone."

"Er... okay." Branch frowned.

Guy Diamond started off, but Branch was slow to follow. He made his way slowly out of the clearing, glancing back several times. Poppy grinned and waved him off. Puzzled, he trudged out of sight.

As soon as his handsome blue form disappeared from view, Poppy's grin vanished. She turned away and let out a short sigh. Satin, Chenille, and Harper eyed her with suspicion. "What?" she asked.

"What was that about?" Harper inquired.

"Well, we need firewood for a fire, so I thought I'd send Branch and Guy out to look for some. After all, we don't want to freeze tonight."

The artist shook her head. "Not that. He asked you a question and it sounded like you were avoiding the answer."

Satin and Chenille exchanged each other a glance of worry. "Poppy-" began Chenille.

"-why didn't you tell Branch about what happened earlier today?" Satin finished.

A sigh escaped the queen. "Look, he's got enough on his mind right now. I mean, we're looking for his two parents he hasn't seen for years and he was already really worried about me coming. I had one bad morning; that's not something to get upset about. Besides, it's over now and this journey is giving me a break from my responsibilities anyway, so there's no need to bring up one bad memory." Her tone was cheerful, but not entirely convincing. It had that "overly happy" sound she would use when she was trying not to think about something that had her feeling down. That, and her colors seemed oddly dimmer than usual. Not by much, but Poppy's friends had known her long enough to know when she was melancholy.

The fashion twins didn't look convinced. "But Poppy... you cried earlier today," said Chenille, causing Harper's eyes to widen in shock. "Don't you think he should know about something serious like that?"

"Wait, wait, you _cried_?" Harper exclaimed. "Poppy, you never cry!" A stern look came over her face. "What's really wrong? Was it that thing that happened this morning about the Bergen and the two kids?"

Poppy frowned. "Well, yes, that was upsetting, but like I told you earlier it's okay now. Everything worked out in the end."

Harper's eyes only remained narrow with suspicion. "But there's more to this than just what happened this morning, isn't there, Poppy?" She looked at the queen curiously, who was clearly avoiding the painter's gaze.

"Avoiding questions, breaking down in tears and then pretending everything's fine," Harper continued. "That's everything I did when I lost my parents. Poppy, what's really wrong?"

For once Poppy was at a loss for words. Her eyebrows slanted upward, her feigned happiness disappearing. "I... I'm not entirely sure myself," she murmured. "All I know is... I haven't been feeling very happy lately." She sunk to her knees, eyes downcast.

Satin and Chenille gasped and rushed to her side. They didn't hug her, but they kneeled down with her. Harper approached her other side. "Do you want to talk about it?" the young painter asked gently.

"I'm frustrated!" Poppy suddenly blurted.

"What's frustrating you?"

"Well, being queen is frustrating for one thing. I still don't know what we're going to do about the coming winter, and then there's Branch-"

The queen's three friends each raised a brow. "Ooh, so it's boy trouble you're having, huh?" Satin teased.

"But, hon, what's wrong with Branch?" Chenille asked. "He's completely smitten with you!"

"Is he though?" Poppy asked.

"Oh, sugar, you have no idea. In fact, it's almost too much for the rest of us to take," giggled the other twin. "I mean, have you seen those lovey dovey eyes he makes at you?"

"You two do both flirt like there's no tomorrow," Harper added. "And I don't even see you on a daily basis."

"But that's just it!" Poppy cried. "Is that all it is? Just flirting? Just playful banter? He said he loved me a month ago, but he sang it, and maybe he was just trying to cheer me up when I was gray. Ever since then I thought something would happen between us, but nothing has!" Her voice lowered to a murmur. "Maybe he just sang it as part of the song. Maybe he didn't really mean it."

Harper wrapped an arm around her sad friend. "Ok, I don't really know much about romance," she admitted. "But I'm pretty sure Branch wouldn't say something like that just because. I don't know, he just doesn't strike me as the kind of Troll who'd lie about something that serious."

The queen sighed.

"Maybe he's too scared to admit it," Satin suggested. "I mean, some boys are just shy, and Branch isn't exactly an open book all the time, even though he is colorful now."

"I actually liked another Troll a couple years back who was the same age as me, and let me tell you it was so nerve-wracking," said Harper. "Every time I looked at him it felt like Caterbuses were crawling inside my stomach!"

The artist's three companions looked at her with surprise. "Aww, you had a crush on someone?" Poppy said with a teasing grin. "How come I never heard about this?"

Harper's face grew a shade darker. "Because you would've tried to get us together. That, and I didn't really want my feelings to be the talk of the town. I mean, I don't know if you listen to gossip much, but let's just say that some of us are wondering if we're going to be addressing Branch as ' _king_ ' in the future."

It was Poppy's turn to blush, but a grin took over her face as well. "I think it suits him." She giggled.

The fashion twins laughed. "Oh, sugar-" said Satin.

"-You've got it bad for him!" Chenille finished.

Suddenly their faces lit up and mischief dawned on both their faces. "Maybe you two just need a little romantic push in the right direction," Satin said with a smirk.

"And this journey is perfect!" Chenille snapped her fingers. "Operation Matchmaker is going to be in full swing!"

"Oh boy," Harper remarked, but a smirk was on her face. "But that does sound fun. Sooner or later you two need to get together. You've been drooling over each other for weeks now!"

Poppy let out a laugh that sounded more like the sweet Poppy they knew. "Oh my hair!" she exclaimed. "I love you guys. You're the best friends anyone could have."

The twins proceeded to embrace her tightly. Harper joined in. "Glad you're feeling better," she said. "And don't worry, Poppy, I'm sure things will work out." A knowing smile peaked at the corner of her lips. "After all, like Chenille said, we've got Operation Matchmaker now!"

They burst into giggles, clutching their sides. "Okay, I think we should get started on the clearing," Harper remarked as their laughter began to die down. "Otherwise we won't have any place comfortable to sleep."

The other three girls stood up, their faces aglow with more cheer than before. Poppy sighed. She felt lighter, a little less melancholy. "Thank you," she told them sincerely.

They smiled back. "Don't worry-" said one of the twins.

"-It's what friends are for!"

"We're always here for you, Poppy," Harper added. "Just... don't bottle things up, okay? You don't want to go gray."

Poppy dipped her head in an understanding nod, but a small shiver ran down her spine and brief thoughts of despair flitted through her head as she remembered the feeling of being gray. Colorless, hopeless, despair: they were horrible feelings, ones she hoped to never feel again, or anyone for that matter. No one deserved such darkness in their life. Absolutely no one.

* * *

The boys returned with the firewood soon afterward. Though it was dark and autumn was coming, the night was a bearable temperature. No blankets or warmth were needed, though the twins cuddled together because they'd always slept that way since childhood. They were inseparable, literally by the hair and metaphorically. They shared a special sibling bond known only by twins.

Branch kept his eye on Poppy the rest of the night, but she didn't appear to act strangely again. In fact, she acted quite normal: the sweet and positive Poppy he knew and loved.

He sighed and glanced around the clearing. The girls had swept the clearing free of any loose grass, leaves, twigs, and stones. The twins were propped against each other, leaning against a thick flower stem. Small snores drifted from Satin's mouth. Guy Diamond lay in a makeshift hammock made from his hair strung between two large flower stems. Poppy sat on her back and staring up at the stars with her head on a leafy pillow. She hummed a quiet tune to herself. Harper wasn't asleep either, but she still lay peacefully in her own Troll hair hammock. The light scratches of pencil on paper alerted Branch to the fact that she was likely sketching or drawing. With a quick glance he confirmed his guess; she had her sketchbook out and a pencil in her hands.

Branch glanced at Poppy again, his gaze lingering on her longer than anyone else. She appeared not to notice, but kept on humming her mysterious lullaby, eyes glued to the stars.

With a flushing face Branch tore his gaze away. He sat leaning against a flower stem himself, but sleep was the last thing on his mind. His eyes shifted to inspect the darkness around them and the crackling campfire. His eyes made out a few feet in each direction, but beyond that was darkness. He shivered. His bunker may have been dimly lit, but it was surrounded by thick walls of protective dirt. Out here they were vulnerable to predators, the weather, anything lurking in the dark. Protective anxiety and paranoia kept his sleep at bay. Not only did he have to look out for Poppy, but her four friends, too. They had no idea how to survive out here. They were happy-go-lucky singers and dancers, not survivalists.

Fashion wouldn't exactly help the twins out here. Glitter had little use in the wild to Guy Diamond, and Branch seriously doubted Harper could survive on her own. She was young and what would she even do if she encountered a life or death situation? Paint her way out of danger?

And Poppy... just the thought of anything happening to her made Branch's heart sink. He'd rather die than let her get hurt.

Restless with a million scenarios of possible danger running through his head, Branch pulled out his grandmother's journal. _Maybe studying the map will help,_ he thought as he pulled open the pages.

They had to pass through a series of locations: a forest, Troll Village, a large pond, another forest, more forest...

Footsteps sounded in his ears and a shadow passed in front of him. He didn't look up, however, as he caught who it was in his peripheral.

Poppy plopped herself down beside him, just close enough that he felt her body heat against his own. His stomach fluttered. "Watcha doing, Branch?" she asked, careful to keep her voice low so as not to wake their sleeping companions.

"Oh, I was just checking the map," he murmured, not quite meeting her gaze.

The journal was open to the first entry detailing Branch's parents. The photograph of Bell and Spruce sat patiently between the open parchment, looking up at the two Trolls. Poppy's fingers drifted toward the journal, toward the photo, her palm coming to hover above the picture. "May I?" she whispered, more hesitant and cautious than the time Branch had asked her that very phrase before burning her mandolin.

Branch nodded and she picked up the photo, inspecting it closely. "Are these your parents?"

"Yeah."

Poppy smiled as she saw their own smiles at the camera. "They look so happy together," she observed. "What were they like?"

Branch's ears lowered and he shifted uneasily. "I'm not sure," he replied quietly, watching the ground. "My grandma didn't tell me much about them besides their names, Bell and Spruce. I assume they were good Trolls. Grandma wrote that they loved me and each other very much." _But it doesn't exactly matter since they were absent my whole life_ , he added in the privacy of his mind.

"How old were you when they disappeared?"

"I was a baby."

A pregnant pause filled the air. They both avoided each other's gazes, Poppy focused on the photo in her hand and Branch staring at the ground. Crickets chirped around them, one of the last few times they would chirp their songs before winter came. The sound of silence, crickets, and Satin's snoring filled the awkward air.

"I'm sorry." Poppy broke the tension, placing her fingers on top of Branch's hand.

He blushed. "It's alright." Suddenly he looked at her directly. "What about you?"

She started. "What?"

"I mean what about your mom, Queen Camellia, I remember Rosiepuff would talk about her back when I was little, but now she's... not around, so... if you don't mind me asking, what happened to her?"

"Oh." Poppy's own gaze shifted downward to observe the earth. _Never thought he'd ask about Mom._

Branch held up his hands. "I mean, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to! I'm not trying to bring up any bad memories, I promise! I was just curious." He shrunk into himself, hoping he hadn't upset her.

Poppy's lips curled up in the littlest smile. _He's so cute when he's flustered._ "It's ok, Branch. I just never expected you to ask about her, that's all."

Her companion let out a sigh of relief.

"To be honest I actually don't remember her," was her soft response. "Just after I was born she was taken while trying to defend my dad and a group of Trolls that were about to get eaten." Poppy shivered. "Kinda like your grandmother I guess, but I never got the chance to know her personally, though Dad says she was one of the most amazing Trolls he'd ever met."

Branch looked at her sadly.

She continued. "Before I was born Dad wanted to name me after her, but apparently she was insistent upon naming me after him." She giggled. "He finally agreed under the condition that my name not be the exact same thing as his, so when I was born they settled on Poppy."

"It's a beautiful name." The words left Branch's mouth before he even realized. His eyes widened, color crossing his face. _Did I really just say that out loud?_

"Aww thanks, Branch. I like your name, too." With one swift movement she leaned over and planted a kiss right on his cheek.

Branch froze, though his heart raced at a mile a minute. He opened his mouth, trying to find some type of response, something intelligent to say, but all he could manage was incoherent muttering. Oh, how he wanted to bury his face in his hands!

Poppy gazed at him, hints of a smirk on her face. She leaned over and entwined her hand with his, scooting closer to him where they sat. She was so close he could feel her body heat. Their heads faced each other, not quite touching lips. Branch's eyes were wide. Poppy gazed at him adorably. He gulped.

Branch blinked several times. Butterflies and Caterbuses were dancing in his stomach. His heart was on a treadmill, but sirens flashed inside his head. _Just lean your head in!_ it felt like his heart was crying.

It was too much, too fast. His fears took over. Branch yanked his hand away a little faster than he intended. Trembling with nerves he turned away hoping she wouldn't see the color in his face, though it was probably too late for that. "Err... w-we s-should probably get to sleep... or something," he stammered, rising to his feet. "It's late and we'll need the energy for tomorrow. Uh... goodnight!" He hurried off to plop himself down against the stem of a flower like the others.

Back where Poppy sat, she let out a sigh, eyes downcast. She glanced at where he sat a small distance from her. He was faced away from her, silent and motionless. With a pout on her lips and furrowed eyebrows, she stood up and trudged back to her leafy pillow. She wasn't feeling so light and happy anymore.

Swinging peacefully on her light blue hair laid Harper looking at them both. She sighed quietly, witnessing the whole thing. With a sad roll of her eyes she turned on her side deep in thought.

* * *

 _"When you feel my heat, look into my eyes. It's where my demons hide."  
~Demons (Imagine Dragons)_


	6. Comatose

_**A/N: Ahh finally I have this thing written and ready to be updated. I apologize for taking longer to update than normal. I'm finishing up my finals so it's been a very busy few weeks for me.**_

 _ **neomoon585: Heh, yep, getting these two together won't be very easy. It's going to take some time. Glad you're enjoying it so far :)**_

 _ **BOTBOD: Branch will come to his senses eventually :) though it's going to take some time.**_

 _ **FALFAL: Yeah, Branch is rather uneasy about this whole "get together" thing with Poppy for various reasons. I'll be addressing that in future chapters for certain. I'm glad it's believable. I'm trying to make the conflict realistic, or at least as realistic as one can get in the Trolls world.**_

 _ **Ezza, mlpfanceline1, AnimalGirl1507, and RibesMontana: Thank you all so much for reviewing! Here's your update ^.^**_

* * *

 _ **JUST A HEADS UP:**_  
 _ **This chapter is very intense near the end. It gets pretty action packed and the journey itself gets a lot more dangerous. Oh, and this chapter is even longer than the last few; a whopping 4000 words (that's a lot for me XD)**_

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Comatose**

"Branch... Branch... Branch! _BRANCH!_ Wake up, sleepyhead!" cried a familiar voice in his ears.

The blue Troll's eyes snapped open and he sat up like a spring, pulled out of a dream. "HIDE THE COCONUTS!"

Giggles let him know Poppy and their friends were watching him. Color crossed Branch's face. He glanced around the clearing to see he was the only one still lying down. A tired sigh left his mouth. _When did I fall asleep last night?_ he wondered. He'd stayed awake longer than anyone else had, scared there might be danger lurking in the dark. The twins, Harper, Guy, and Poppy were all standing nearby looking as if they were ready to start the journey again.

A scowl touched Branch's features. "Why didn't you wake me up earlier?" Last one to sleep and the first one up: that was how it should've been, or so he liked to tell himself. He was the only one who could survive out here. He _had_ to protect everyone.

"We tried, but you're a very deep sleeper," Poppy remarked with a grin in her face. "You were out like a rock! Besides, you looked so peaceful there."

She extended a hand. With a blushing face Branch took it and forced himself to his feet. He forced his heavy eyes open to look at her, stifling an exhausted groan. It was as if gold was on his lids; they felt so heavy, so _tired_. He may have been in deep sleep, but it failed to be restful, and his mood certainly wasn't improved by it. Faking an energetized expression, he gave Poppy a stern face. "Next time, just wake me when everyone else is up," he said slightly harsher than he intended.

The queen stuck out her lower lip. "Ok fine, Grumpypants. I'll wake you up even if I have to throw cold water on you." She let out a laugh.

"Please don't. The yelling was bad enough."

She lightly punched his side. "Oh, you'll be fine. I doubt you even heard half my yelling anyway. Like I said, you were out like a rock!"

Branch huffed as he gathered his things and they headed off.

The sun was fairly high in the sky as they set off, signaling it was late morning. A steady breeze blew around the group with the hinting nippiness of autumn that was soon to come upon them. The flowers around them were still in bloom, but they looked tired and faded, ready for the winter snooze. The field was almost at its end and the forest was coming upon them. The ground was becoming less flat, the tall purple trees more common. The air grew even colder as the tall plants blocked the sun from shining too brightly upon the travelling Trolls. They were at least almost half way toward Troll Village. It didn't take long to reach when one knew the way: a day or two, three at the most if a steady pace was kept, and Branch was good at keeping a steady pace, better than the rest of them.

A breeze danced around them. Poppy and Harper began to tremble as the cold air nipped their skin. Satin and Chenille huddled close together, sharing their body heat. Guy, who wore no clothes at all, had his own arms wrapped tightly around himself. The only one apparently unaffected was Branch who was leading the way. "Be careful," he cautioned. "It's colder and although there are a lot fewer spiders to worry about in this forest, the Living Hills are still awake until the snow begins to fall."

"Living Hills?" questioned Harper.

"Yeah, they're huge creatures who live buried in the ground with their heads up, waiting for someone to walk on top of them before using their tongues to swallow their prey whole."

"So _that's_ what those are called," remarked Poppy. "I almost got eaten by one of those."

Branch suddenly snapped to attention, whipping his head back to stare at her in shock. "You WHAT? When did that happen?"

Poppy smirked and nodded her head like it was nothing serious. "When I was traveling to Bergen Town. One of those things almost ate me, but I escape by using my hair to swing out of its mouth."

Branch looked terrified. "I wish I had been with you. We would've avoided them and-"

"Well, you weren't with me, Branch," Poppy interrupted, smiling sympathetically. "And it's alright. It didn't eat me. I escaped and I'm fine now."

The formerly grumpy Troll appeared to resume his past demeanor. "I still should've gone with you when you first asked me." Like a cloud around his mind he found himself feeling tired and snippy.

"Branch," Poppy began with a tone sterner than normal. "It's ok. Everything worked out in the end."

He didn't respond, but resumed the lead with an apparent sulk. Sighing in annoyance, Poppy slowed her pace and fell back toward Satin, Chenille, and Harper, who were lagging near the end of the group. Guy Diamond gave her a look of concern as he took up second place. The twins had been chattering softly amongst themselves, but stopped when they saw Poppy's face. It radiated everything not Poppy: annoyance, melancholy, disappointment.

The environment grew thick, tense, and awkward. Something was off between the two love-Trolls. The fashion twins could sense it. Harper just stared at the ground with downcast eyes. It must've been that awkward scene she'd witnessed last night that was causing this.

"It's getting really cold," Satin finally spoke up, choosing to ignore the tension in the air.

"It's freezing," Chenille agreed.

Guy Diamond threw a glance between Branch and the twins. His arms were still wrapped around himself. "I have to agree. Hey Branch, do you happen to have any coats or something? I mean, I don't even like to wear clothes, but if it means not freezing to death, I can put up with that."

"I didn't pack any extra clothes," Branch replied. His friends stared at him curiously. He sounded... quite irritated actually, rather like his gray days. "You'll have to wait till we reach the village."

"But we're all freezing," Poppy spoke up. "Isn't there something we can use to keep warm?"

Branch didn't look back, but replied shortly, "Look, I didn't pack anything like that and I can't make coats appear magically out of thin air, so we're all going to have to just be patient. If we keep moving we should make it by nightfall. It's not that cold yet."

"I beg to differ," murmured Harper, the smallest of them all. She was huddled into her smock, shaking more than the rest of her companions.

Poppy and the twins gave her understanding expressions. Poppy trudged over to the young Troll and put a gentle arm around her shoulders. Harper shivered, holding onto the queen for warmth like a little Trolling might to an older sister. "Branch," Poppy started rather sternly. "We need to stop and warm up somehow."

Finally Branch stopped his pace and glanced back, his previously cranky demeanor melting away as he saw his shivering companions. _Idiot!_ he thought to himself sternly. _They're not used to colder weather like you are!_ And it was true: years of foraging in countless days of weathered variety had rendered him a little more used to the cold than his fellow Trolls. He certainly wasn't immune to it, but it took him a longer period of time to be bothered by it.

"Ok," he said, a hint of shame in his voice. "We'll stop and build a fire."

"But wait." To everyone's surprise it was Guy Diamond who spoke up. His voice was normal for once, holding no synthesized sounds. "Aren't we also pressed for time? We shouldn't stop too long."

Branch found himself actually agreeing with the glitter Troll. "He's right though. The sooner we reach the village the better. It's dangerous out here anyway." A thoughtful look crossed his face.

Across from him nearly Poppy and Harper, the fashionistas twins' faces suddenly lit up. "Actually-" started Satin.

"-I think," continued Chenille.

"-we have an idea!" they finished together. "We could make coats for everyone!"

Branch furrowed his brows and his face crinkled in a frown. "As good of an idea as that sounds, we don't exactly have any fabric to work with. If you look around all the flowers and plants large enough are closed and shriveled due to autumn's cold air and I'd rather _not_ the two blankets in my pack be cut up and used for sewing." He crossed his arms. "You never know when you'll need an emergency blanket."

"What if we used the leaves up there?" Harper suggested, pointing to the pink ones still clinging to the pale purple trees. Some were losing color and shriveling with the approaching winter, but others remained healthy and full of life.

"That's a great idea, Harper!" cried Poppy.

Satin and Chenille were peeking up at the trees, studying the leaves as close as they could from their distance away. "Yes, that's an amazing idea!" they said in sync. "We can work with those!"

Guy Diamond voiced his affirmation as well. Harper beamed at the praise.

Poppy grinned. "Then it's settled! Come on, guys, let's go pick those leaves!"

"Poppy, wait!" Branch began to yell. "It's dangerous up there!"

But she lready shooting her hair up to grasp the tree limb closest to the ground. She jumped and sprang upward, leaving the ground before Branch could speak any further. Harper and Guy mirrored her actions.

Before Branch knew what happened, Satin had jumped to stand on Chenille's shoulders. Working as a flawless team, the blue twin threw her sister upward. Satin sailed vertically several feet and grabbed the tree branch closest to the ground. With the help of the three others, they hoisted Satin up who in turn used her hair to pull Chenille up to her level. They giggled at the feat they accomplished, high fiving each other.

Incoherent but displeased mutterings flowed from Branch's mouth as he followed them. He had a safety lecture prepared to give them, but discovered they had all dispersed on other branches short distances away, busily picking leaves and stuffing them in their hair. Only Poppy remained. She appeared ready to swing away with her pink hair, but Branch grabbed her arm. "Wait, wait! Poppy, stop!"

She dropped her pursuit of her friends, turning to look at him with curious eyes. "Branch, what's wrong?"

"Poppy, are you crazy? Swinging through the trees? First of all, we're several dangerous feet above the ground and you know as well as I do that spiders dwell in the trees."

"Branch, it's fine! None of us are going to fall and you said yourself that we don't have to worry about spiders because it's almost winter."

"We don't know they're all hibernating for the season!" The blue Troll's tone was turning frantic. He felt his anxiety levels rising, hands beginning to shake. "Plus, what if you fall? There are still Hills below. They might open up their mouths and swallow you whole!"

Poppy stepped forward swiftly, grabbing one of his hands and holding them tightly. "Woah, Branch, calm down!" She cupped her other hand to his cheek. "It's ok. You're overthinking this."

He stared back with a blush, his hands clinging tightly to her own. His ears steadily fell downward. "I... I'm sorry," he spoke softly. "You're right."

"Take a deep breath."

He sucked in a lung full of air and expelled it slowly through his mouth.

His crush gave him a sweet smile. "There," she continued. "It's going to be ok, Branch. We'll be careful, I promise. Now come on, let's pick leaves together!" The hand holding his began to tug him in the other direction.

Though calmed, Branch's mind was not completely at ease. Still, it wasn't like he could round up his friends and force them to stay in one place for their own safety, especially Poppy. With a heavy sigh he joined them in their leaf harvest.

It was probably twenty minutes later when the twins announced they had plenty to work with. True to Poppy's word they were soon gathered safely on the ground while Satin and Chenille looked through their material. Poppy graciously lent them her scrapbook scissors so they could cut it as needed. At first Branch wondered aloud how they would even think to sew the coats, but the twins revealed they always carried needle and thread in their hair. Branch snorted at this revelation. "I guess that makes sense with you two, " he remarked in amusement.

"Oh, you have no idea," replied the blue twin.

Her pink sister continued, "We always keep a needle and thread with us. Sometimes we have to patch up our own clothes or our friends."

"It's true." Poppy giggled. "I once tore the hem of my dress and thanks to Satin and Chenille they had it mended in no time." She fiddled with the edge of her dress, inspecting it casually. "I can't even see the seam where they fixed it!"

A smile crossed Branch's face, his mood feeling more pleasant unlike earlier. He scanned the gatherers subconsciously, making sure everyone was present and safe. The twins were on their knees, cutting and sewing like mad. Poppy watched with song humming in her throat. Guy Diamond sat nearby leaned up against a tree, watching with a content expression, and Harper...

Branch snapped to attention, looking around frantically for the smaller Troll. _"Where's Harper?"_

Four pairs of eyes turned to him, then shifted to look around the group, but no pair of red and green eyes stared back. Poppy sprang to attention. "I don't see her anywhere... Harper?" she called.

The only response was the quiet of the forest and the sounds of their own breathing. The wind murmured. Branch cupped his hands around his mouth, calling out, "Harper!"

Puzzled, Guy and the twins sprang to their feet. They as well called the painter's name. Poppy shouted even louder than before. A worried expression dawned on both her and Branch's faces. Five Trolls paced around the clearing, their making of coats momentarily forgotten. They called, shouted, yelled her name, but no response came.

"We need to split up and look!" Branch suddenly shouted when no sign of the artist had turned up for the minutes. "Come on, everyone branch out and look, but do NOT go out of ear shot!"

The gang split up, scurrying off among the trees. Poppy felt her stomach grow unusually heavy. "Harper, where are you?" she almost screamed. She could hear her companions calling in the distance, but none of them sounded positive. "Come on, Harper, please turn up," the queen mumbled to herself.

The minutes ticked by. Ten soon turned into twenty, and twenty to thirty. Their calls echoed loudly through the forest. Several bugs and animals skittered away from the noise. Sleepy flowers opened their tired eyes to see the raucous disturbing their autumn slumber. The search party grew steadily panicked, their voices yelling Harper's name as loud as they could. An uncomfortable roughness was beginning to grow in Poppy's throat, her voice growing hoarse.

Branch found the twins and Guy Diamond. His own voice was croaky from the yelling. "Any luck?" he said.

Guy and the twins shook their heads, staring at him in worry. Poppy was still off in the distance. Branch could hear her calls, but dread still clouded his mind. "Poppy!"

She didn't respond. Terror soon overtook the blue Troll's face. He raised his tone even though it cracked with overuse. _"Poppy!"_

"BRANCH!"

He shot towards her voice. "POPPY!"

"BRANCH, I THINK I FOUND HER!"

The group tore through the trees, following the sound of Poppy's frantic calls. She wasn't far from the clearing. They caught sight of her pink figure in seconds. Branch sprinted over to her, looking at her face in concern. Desperate worry laced his voice. "Are you ok, Poppy? Where's Harper?"

All her fingers except her index curled into a fist. Her hand slowly drifted up to the sky, between two trees Their eyes trailed toward where she was pointing. Gasps escaped the group's mouths as their eyes grew large in fear.

The large crisscrossing web of a spider sat strung between two large trees high above their heads. It bared a dangerous resemblance to the spiderwebs Poppy had once fallen through, but much larger. Three large spiders were busying themselves amongst their home, their green tufts of hair waving in the air as they moved, their beady eyes attentive to their work. Their bodies were a fuzzy purple, their long legs a teal blue. Two were busy repairing the web while the third was wrapping up something small and blue in its white webbing. The observing Trolls cried out in shock as they realized who it was. The paint-stained hair and blue body could only belong to Harper. Her eyes were closed, seemingly unconscious.

 _"Teal Blue Tarantulas,"_ Branch muttered, his face turning to a snarl. He threw his pack to the ground. His hair shot upward, latching tightly onto the purple tree limb closest to the webbing. Poppy moved to follow him, but he stretched out his arm and shoved her back. "No, Poppy. Stay here!" he ordered as his hair pulled him from the ground.

He landed in record time and steadied himself on the tree limb. He had no frying pan to use on the creatures and considering it wasn't too effective last time, he resorted to using the best weapon he had. Branch shot his hair out once more and brought it down upon the spider wrapping the artist in its silk. He struck the creature square in the eyes. Letting out something between a growl and a squeal, it jumped back, drawing the attention of its fellow companions.

Three sets of four beady tarantula eyes were now all focused on the blue Troll that dared disturb their home. The unharmed spiders growled and abandoned their web repairs, choosing to backup their injured comrade.

Branch's hands began to tremble. He may have beaten four spiders and rescued a Troll before, but that had taken place on the ground. The tree limb he stood upon was only so wide and his feet could only grip so much.

The three spiders were creeping closer. Branch extended his hair again. They scattered, one of them attaching itself to the branch he stood on. Letting out a fearful gasp, Branch found himself swaying dangerously on the tree limb, desperate attempting to keep his balance. He wrapped his hair around another limb inches above his head. It steadied him, but the spider grew ever closer, bearing its ugly yellow fangs. Its friends were close behind. With a gulp Branch took a few steps backward, but his back was pressed up against the tree trunk. The spiders had him cornered.

"NO!" A cry cut through the air as a pink blur whammed into the spider closest to Branch.

Branch yelped as Poppy tackled the spider, digging her fingers into the green tuft of fur on its head. It shrieked. The impact of Poppy's body hitting the spider sent it sailing sideways off the branch and tumbling through the air below.

"POPPY!" Branch screamed at the top of his lungs, his voice cracking as he helplessly watched the two sail toward the ground. His heart leaped into his throat and his stomach dropped.

Suddenly Poppy sprang her hair out. Letting go of the spider's fur, she caught her own hair swiftly around the limb of a dangerously low hanging branch in another tree. Like a bungee cord she flailed up and down, left and right to slow her descent until finally she let go and fell tumbling to the ground. The spider landed on its back several feet away, squealing and and moving its legs as it tried to right itself. Branch let out a choked sigh of relief to see Poppy alive and unharmed.

Branch's attention diverted when he heard the squeals of the other two spiders. With wide eyes he watched as Satin launched herself at one of the creatures, her sister holding tightly to a nearby tree limb. With Chenille holding onto the tree she could prevent Satin from falling to the ground. The pink twin hit the second spider much like Poppy had, only she didn't grab ahold of its green tuft. It sailed sideways and off the branch. Her hair caught the limb Branch was holding onto and she fell over the side, but her physical link to Chenille stopped her fall. Instead she swung back and forth through the air like a swing waiting for her momentum to slow.

A silvery flash landing on the spider's web caught Branch's eye. He whipped his head toward the webbing to see Guy Diamond had landed himself in the spider silk. A few strings of it broke beneath the glitter Troll's weight. Guy let out a startled cry and Branch's breath hitched. _Don't break the web!_ the blue Troll thought in desperation.

With some kind of luck Guy was able to right himself and, though the web bent downward and threatened to snap under his weight, it still held. Picking his way through the sticky silk, Guy reached Harper and attempted to pull her free from the webbing.

The remaining spider who had yet to be attacked decided to change its tactics. Instead of going after Branch, it turned and began scuttling toward Guy Diamond and Harper.

As Chenille was busy pulling her sister up to her level and Poppy was on the ground, Branch took the opportunity to launch himself onto the spider's back. Like Poppy he grabbed ahold of its green fur. They flew off the tree limb, sailing downward. With a grunt Branch jerked the spider around so that its belly faced the ground. It landed on its stomach, cushioning Branch's fall. He released his hold on its fur and rolled off. The spider shrieked and scrambled to its feet. It took off toward the forest, followed by its two friends, deciding the Trolls weren't worth the fight.

"Branch!" Poppy was at the blue Troll's side in a flash, helping him to his feet.

"I got Harper!" they heard Guy Diamond call. He had managed to yank her free from the webbing and was using his hair to lower himself and her in his arms down to the ground. Satin and Chenille followed suit.

Everyone shot toward Harper when Guy reached the ground. He set her on the ground but held her head up. With a hunting knife he had stored in his pack, Branch cut Harper loose from the silk. Holding two fingers two to her neck, he felt for a pulse. "She's alive!" he pronounced.

"Can you shock her awake like you did to me?" Poppy cried frantically. There was moisture in her eyes.

Branch tried his best to keep his voice even, but the fear in his voice was evident. His heart pounded in his chest. He placed a hand lightly against his queasy stomach. "I-I... I can't. There are no bugs of that kind around. They're all in hibernation!"

"We need to do something!" Poppy yelled. She gripped Harper's arma and shook her lightly, desperately calling the painter's name, but her eyes remained closed.

Something sticky and wet touched Poppy's hand. She snatched her hand back from Harper's arm, inspecting her fingers. "What is this?" she cried.

The blue Troll blanched as he realized what Poppy was touching. His eyes snapped to look at Harper's arm. Two crescent rows of marks adorned the skin of her light blue arm. "Oh no..." Branch choked. "One of the spiders bit her!"

A collective gasp rang through the group. "What do we do?" cried the twins. Guy's face grew worried.

"Is she going to be ok?" Poppy asked in desperation.

"Those were Teal Blue Tarantulas," Branch began. "To a Bergen their bites inject venom into the body which is painful yet not harmful, but to something as small as a Troll it causes paralysis, fever, hallucinations, and if not treated... possibly death." He choked out the last two words.

He placed a hand on Harper's forehead. It was burning.

Poppy whipped to face Branch and she planted her hands on his shoulders, looking at him with pleading eyes. "She's going to survive. There _must_ to be a way to save her!" Tears pricked her eyes. "There _has_ to be..."

Branch took her hands in his and gripped them firmly, hoping to give her some kind of comfort. "I have an antidote stored at my old bunker in the village." His face hardened. "But we have to go _NOW_. I'm not sure how long we have exactly, maybe a few hours to a day before it turns fatal."

Poppy jumped to her feet, pulling Branch with her. "Lead the way," she ordered.

He nodded and took off toward the village. Poppy, the twins, and Guy, who was carrying Harper firmly in his arms, followed Branch's heels. Though the air was still cold, they ignored the sting of the wind against their faces. Though their breaths grew short, they hardly stopped.

They refused to let Harper edge any closer to fading.

* * *

 **Fun Fact: Although those are the same spiders seen in the movie, I was inspired to name them after the Cobalt Blue Tarantula, but as they weren't exactly cobalt blue I had to change it to teal to match their leg color.**


	7. Stay Alive

**A/N: Oh my goodness, thank you all for being patient with me as I spent like three weeks trying to write this chapter.**

 **I don't think I'm going to do any direct review responses this chapter because my hand REALLY hurts from writing, but all of you who have reviewed and PMed me about this story have my deepest gratitude and appreciation! Truly your positive feedback is so encouraging and motivates me to continue writing. I'm sincerely touched that some of you really enjoy this story and are always itching for the next chapter :) Thank you all so much!**

 **For this chapter there's a song I encourage you to listen to at least the first verse of if you're unfamiliar with it " _Truce_ " by Twenty One Pilots. The first few lines are sung somewhere in this chapter. Also, although I've mentioned the song in previous chapters, if you don't know the song " _Titanium_ " by David Guetta featuring Sia, that's also a good one to know for this chapter and story. It shows up multiple times throughout the plot for various reasons that'll be made clear in due time as the story progresses.**

 **I hope you enjoy :) Any reviews you want to drop are highly appreciated!**

 **Oh, and I've had also gotten an idea for another Trolls fic so I'm curious... do you like zombie apocalypse stories?**

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Stay Alive**

The next several hours were a fuzzy blur. The Trolls ran as fast as they could and when they couldn't, they marched. They took turns carrying Harper who was wrapped in one of Branch's survival blankets. Though her body was hot with fever, they couldn't let her freeze in the cold air. Her eyes remained closed the whole time, but her heart still beated gently.

At the moment Poppy was carrying her. They had cycled through Guy, the twins, Branch, and now it was the queen's turn. Though Poppy kept the pace as rapid as she could, her breaths were growing short and her limbs ached with every step. Her legs were like lead, her lungs desperate for a break. A heaviness settled upon her chest.

As her lungs couldn't keep up with the pace, Poppy felt coughs wrack her throat. Her feet stumbled as she tried her best not to drop Harper. She was falling behind in the group. "Guys, wait!" she wheezed.

Branch was at her side in seconds. "Poppy!" He shifted his gaze to their companions, worry etching his face. "We need to take a break. Poppy, give me Harper."

Without complaint Poppy handed the girl over to him and he laid the artist gently onto the ground. He felt her forehead. Still warm.

The whole group appeared just as wiped. Satin and Chenille were leaning against each other for support, close to falling to their knees. Guy Diamond knelt over, hands on his knees breathing heavily. Even Branch felt their sprints taking a toll on him and it didn't help that he hadn't gotten enough sleep either. His eyelids drooped dangerously, but he didn't let them close. Though the air was chilly, their running had certainly raised their body temperatures and beads of sweat were gathered on their faces.

Poppy's own bangs were practically plastered to her face. Falling to her knees, she tried her best not to hyperventilate. Branch kneeled down to her level and gazed at her with concern. "I'm alright," she wheezed, attempting to fake a smile.

"No, you're not." He produced a small jar of water from his pack, holding it in front of her face. "I was saving this, but I think now is as good a time as any."

Her hand came up to block the jar from reaching her lips. "No, give some to the others first. Then I'll have what's left."

With a nod Branch turned away. There was no arguing with her. She was the queen and her duty was the wellbeing of her people. A twinge of guilt needled his mind. _I should've offered the others some first,_ he thought. Though it was almost natural that his first thoughts of anyone's wellbeing was Poppy's.

It was Harper who received water first, though it was more like feeding a sleeping baby Troll as she was unconscious through the whole thing. The twins eagerly drank next followed by Guy Diamond. As they finished there was one sip left, maybe two if one tried to really stretch it.

"You drink it," said Poppy when she was handed the jar.

"No," Branch insisted. "You need it more than I do."

The queen's eyebrows narrowed. "Branch, don't pretend like you're not incredibly thirsty. You're exhausted, I can tell. You need it more than I do."

Branch frowned, just as stubborn. "No. If you don't drink it then I won't either."

"And I won't drink it if you don't."

It was a stalemate. Their companions shifted uncomfortably, Satin and Chenille passing worried glances between each other while Guy observed nervously. Poppy was kneeling, her head turned toward Branch with narrow eyes. In turn Branch kneeled beside her, mirroring her face. They stared each other down, blue eyes daring magenta, magenta daring blue.

Branch tried again. "Poppy, drink it." _Why won't she ever listen for once?_

"As queen I order you to have the last sip of water."

Branch's glare grew darker. _Oh, so she's using the queen card, is she?_ he thought. He sifted through the logic in his brain, desperately trying to come up with a counterargument. "And as a Troll concerned for the queen's wellbeing, I'm refusing that order because it might put you in danger!"

"How is going one day without water going to put me in danger?"

"Hydration is important, Poppy. Without water you could get dizzy, you may faint, and you might die!"

"I'm not sure if you've noticed, but I'm not the one who needs medical attention here! We have a poisoned Troll on out hands and-"

 _"GUYS!"_

Both Trolls snapped their attention to a new voice, eyes wide as they realized who had spoken. Guy Diamond was eyeing them both with such a stern expression. They blanched. Like most Trolls he was always so happy, so cheerful, yet here he was staring them down like an angry parent.

"Enough with the bickering," he continued. "It's not getting us anywhere. Besides, I don't think it really matters who drinks the last bit of water. We're almost to the village, right? We can get water there, so let's stop arguing, take a breather, and get back up again and continue on!"

The scolded Branch and Poppy looked down at the ground, shame evident in both their expressions. They sighed. Guy was right.

Branch tore his eyes from the ground and leaned forward, extending his hand to gently touch Poppy's chin, turning her head slowly toward him. When her pink eyes met his own he shifted his hand away and grasped her fingers instead. "Poppy," he began with a hard swallow. "Please drink it. Guy's right. Trust me, I've gone without water for much longer than this before. I'm a survivalist, remember? I can get more water at the village. Trust me, I have a lot still stored at the bunker.'

She squeezed his hand tightly. "Promise?"

"I promise."

With a nod she took the water jar and brought it to her lips, consuming the last few drops. Branch let out a sigh.

* * *

The air was a lot colder and the sun had gone to sleep by the time they reached the village. It had been almost a full day of endless running, sprinting, moving in general. Everyone's lids were heavy when Branch with Harper in his arms caught sight of the first Troll pods. "We're here!" he called weakly, knees wobbling and voice quivering.

Satan and Chenille collapsed in the grass, breathing heavily through their parched mouths. Guy didn't fall, but he trudged over to a nearby mushroom and leaned forward, planting his sweaty forehead against its cool stalk. Poppy wiped her own slick forehead and eyed Branch suspiciously.

Survivalist he may be, but it was obvious he was struggling. His stance was still, his fingers trembling under Harper's weight. His colors had dulled and though he still held onto his natural blue, she saw the faintest familiar hints of gray hue on his complexion. Forcing herself to carry on, she hurried over to him and attempted to pull Harper from his hands. He stared back with weak eyes, allowing her to take Harper without complaint.

"Come on, Branch," she murmured, turning toward his bunker but keeping her gaze on him. "We're almost there. Just a few more feet."

He nodded and began to trudge after her. Guy and the twins saw them move and forced themselves to stand. They followed like slugs through molasses.

With weak determination Poppy led them all into Branch's bunker and onto the elevator, sneaking glances at Branch along the ride. He barely spoke. His expression was glazed and distant. Sweat was pouring down his face and if she didn't know any better she'd guess there were dark circles starting to appear under his eyes. _How much sleep did he get last night?_ she wondered as the elevator descended.

But at the moment it was Harper who needed the most attention. With a lumbering gait Branch went to search through his storage when they reached the bottom. Guy and the twins collapsed and fell asleep right on the bunker's main floor. Poppy made her way over to the only comfortable sleeping place in the bunker: Branch's hammock, and gently slipped the artist onto it. Considering Harper's current state, Poppy doubted he would mind. As soon as she was stable, Poppy fell back against the wall, letting out a sigh before sliding down to the floor to wait.

Branch returned in a matter of minutes, still lumbering slowly. Poppy cringed at his disheveled state. Deep blue hair stuck out in odd directions. His eyelids laid halfway closed as if he'd fall asleep right where he stood. A small bottle of something pale blue was grasped in his right hand.

Poppy scampered to her feet. "Is that it?"

Branch nodded slowly, looking at her with his tired gaze. "It's the antivenom, the antidote. One of the few bottles I have left, too. We need to give it to her as quickly as possible."

Gesturing over to the hammock, Poppy led him to where Harper lay unconscious. Quickly Branch uncorked the bottle and brought it to her mouth. Poppy held the artist's lips open and her companion tipped the bottle downward.

"What now?" Poppy inquired softly, turning her head to glance at the blue Troll beside her.

He met her gaze, responding at the same volume, "Now... we wait."

"How long will it take to work?"

"It depends." His eyes flickered to the sleeping artist. "Depends on how much of her system the venom has ahold of, how much venom is actually in her body, a large number of factors. It could take minutes, hours, or if the venom has already been in effect too long, maybe nev-"

" _Don't_." The queen Troll had turned away, hiding her expression from Branch's sight. He stepped forward and placed a hand on her arm, but she moved away.

Shocked, Branch pulled his hand back but kept it hovering, hesitantly waiting. His eyes were wide, lips parted slightly in concern. "Poppy," he began in a near whisper.

But she interrupted him. "You should go check up on the others."

"Poppy, what's wrong?" Branch pressed, moving toward her slowly but keeping a few inches between them.

Her back remained facing him. "I'm f-fine, just tired."

The quiver in her tone did nothing to reassure him. This wasn't the Poppy he knew. This wasn't the happy girl he fell in love with. Something was wrong; her colors were dangerously dull and her voice was almost choked. "Poppy," he tried again with a step toward her, but his eyes caught sight of her fists suddenly clenching, her whole body going rigid from his view of her back profile.

" _Branch_."

He gulped. Her voice held a hint of anger he'd never heard from her before. Stunned, he backed away. As much as his chest ached and he wanted to do something, to say something, her attitude made him pause. _What do I do?_ An angry Poppy was a scary Poppy, but he wasn't sure _how_ to deal with her in such a state. With a hurt expression Branch turned away, mumbling, "Ok, I'll go check on the others." He trudged off toward the twins and Guy Diamond.

Poppy turned back to look at Harper. Branch's back was certainly turned to her and his footsteps grew more quiet. She slipped a hand over her eyes, trying her best to hold back silent tears.

* * *

The bunker was mostly open. It was musty from a month of no use, but Branch didn't mind. The leftover Bergen traps were not set, but they didn't need to be. The bunker's owner left them as they were. He checked on the rest of the group: the twins were sprawled against each other, mouths hanging open in small snores. Guy Diamond sat sound asleep leaning against the bunker's earthy wall. Branch chanced a glance to the other side of the open space, barely catching sight of Poppy across the room. They were on the bottom most floor, something of a kitchen, living room, and bedroom all in one with various places for storage scattered about.

Poppy's pink form was too far away to discern anything of major interest. Her back was still turned. Her gaze appeared to be looking at Harper. Worry still stabbing his gut, Branch forced himself to listen to her previous warning and he turned to light the orange mushroom-like plants that provided light for his bunker.

Still trying to ignore the tension lingering in the air, Branch turned his attention to taking whatever inventory remained in his bunker. Despite how much the Trolls had trashed his bunker weeks ago, he still had a lot of supplies: food, water, clothing, medicine, everything of the sort.

As he counted his stores, Branch's ears twitched when a soft melody floated from the other side of the room. Turning, his eyes landed on Poppy's distant pink form. She was still turned toward Harper, singing quietly. Branch perked up his sensitive ears, listening intently.

 _"Now the night is coming to an end_  
 _The sun will rise and we will try again_  
 _Stay alive, stay alive for me."_

The tune faded, but her voice began again, whispering the words of a different melody than the one she had just sung. Branch had to strain his ears to make

" _You're bulletproof, nothing to lose_  
 _Fire away, fire away_  
 _Ricochet, they take their aim_  
 _Fire away, fire away_  
 _They shoot you down but you won't fall_  
 _You are titanium."_

She trailed off and Branch's heart filled with weight. Poppy sang _"Titanium,_ " but the words were different, changed for the Troll lying in Branch's hammock. All Branch could do was watch, forlorn and confused. _She's really worried abiut her,_ he observed.

It did make sense. Poppy's friends were everything to her. She'd do anything for them, give them the stars and the moon if that's what they desired. She proved that very thing when she risked her life to save them from the hungry Bergens.

Branch's heart ached. She had turned him away as she had turned her head away when he tried to comfort her when she lost all her color. He'd tried to comfort her, to get her to explain what ran through her head, but she'd turned him away. She'd gotten _angry_. Tears pricked his eyes, but Branch wiped them away. _I have to stay strong for everyone_.

* * *

Exhausted but unwilling to fall asleep, Poppy sat with her back against the wall and her legs pulled up to her chest. Her arms wrapped around her legs while her chin rested on her knees. A quiet sigh escaped her lips.

"Poppy?"

Poppy turned her head, almost double taking. Chenille stood before her, awake and looking tired, but concerned. Her dress was a mess and smudged in dirt, but the most shocking thing was her hair. Mussed and disheveled it was, but this time it actually had an end.

"Chenille, your hair! It's..."

"Not attached to Satin's? I know. I did it on purpose."

Poppy stared like a puzzled fish. "But why? You _never_ detach from each other."

The twins were completely capable of detaching their hair from each other, but they chose not to. They were closer than most siblings. They were twins, sharing a special bond few knew if not a twin theirself.

The blue fashion sister sunk to her knees. "Your talking to Branch woke me up." Poppy mumbled an apology, but Chenille held up her hand. "Satin was asleep and I wanted to ask if you were ok, but I didn't want to awake Satin, so I detached myself from her hair to come see you."

Chenille leaned forward, placing her hand on her knees. "I heard you send Branch away, but that's not like you at all, Poppy. You sounded angry and your ears were droopy like Branch's, so I have to ask: what's wrong? We made it and Harper got the antidote. We just have to wait for her to wake up now."

Poppy had her face in her knees. "That's not it. I mean, it is, but not completely."

"Then what is _it_ that's bothering you?"

"It's my fault."

Chenille's brow and nose wrinkled on confusion. "Your fault? What do you mean?"

Poppy's tearstrained face turned to her companion. "Branch warned me about this. He told me it was dangerous, but I didn't listen and Harper got hurt because of it. I'm a horrible queen. It's my job to keep all Trolls safe just like my dad did twenty years ago, but I couldn't even keep ONE safe." She sniffled. "It's my fault Harper got hurt, Chenille. I should've listened to Branch. I thought he was just being paranoid like he always was, but he was _right_ and I _ignored_ him."

The queen suddenly snapped up to look around frantically. Was anyone listening? Had Branch heard what she said? But Branch was nowhere in sight. She sighed. Only Chenille had witnessed her moment of shame.

Chenille extended her arms and wrapped them around Poppy tightly. "It's not your fault, Poppy." She drew back to look at the queen with what she hoped was comfort and compassion. "You didn't know it was going to happen. None of us did."

"Branch warned me and I didn't listen. He practically knew. What if Harper doesn't wake up? We might not have even made it in time. Harper might DIE because I was too stupid to listen!"

"Who might die?"

Poppy and Chenille's eyes grew wide. Their heads swiveled like lightning toward the hammock, ears perked, mouths open like fish.

Her voice had been weak and she looked deathly pale, but there was no mistaking it. Harper, the little blue artist, the young Troll of sixteen, the one bitten by a deadly spider, was staring at the two with tired but open eyes.

Poppy and Chenille shot to their feet, yelling in unison. "HARPER!"

Harper felt pressure on her from all sides. Pink and light blue arms were hugging her like a lifeline. Across the room Guy Diamond and Satin were peering at them in shock. Their yells must have woken them up, but Poppy and Chenille didn't care.

Harper was awake.


	8. Total Eclipse of the Heart

**A/N: Hello everyone, thank you for being patient with me as I update.**

 **I really appreciate all the support and encouragement you all are giving me :) It really means a lot! Here's the update you all wanted ^.^**

 **I encourage you all to listen to "Total Eclipse of the Heart" as that song comes into play in this chapter.  
**

 **And what do I think of a Hercules parody, Reby Montana? Well, I've never thought of it before but it would certainly be an interesting concept to see. If you or someone else wants to do it, go right ahead!**

 **P.S. If you guys like Broppy cuteness I have a feeling you're going to love this chapter :D**

* * *

 **Chapter** **8: Total Eclipse of the Heart  
**

Harper found several pairs of eyes looking at her urgently. "How are you feeling?" her friends inquired.

The artist's multicolored eyes gazed warily around the crowd she suddenly found herself surrounded by. "Weak... and sore. Where am I?"

"You're in Branch's bunker," Poppy responded, her eyes full of relief and a smile on her face.

Harper's mouth dropped. "You mean we reached the village already?" She shot up, but a grunt left her mouth when pain erupted in her arm. Slowly she brought her good hand upon her injured arm, her fingertips ghosting over the bandage beneath. "Why does my arm hurt? Everything I remember is a blur, something about spiders and leaves? I'm not really sure."

"You were bitten by a spider!" Satin cried.

"It was so scary," chimed Chenille. "We had to run like crazy to get here so Branch could cure you!"

The twins were quick to envelope Harper in a hug from both sides, earning a surprised squeak from the artist. "We were so worried!" they exclaimed.

Harper grunted from the pressure of the snug embrace. "Branch... cured me?" Her eyes cast about the room. "Where is he?"

Poppy's own gazed flickered across the room. "That's a good question. Where _is_ Branch? He was just here."

"Oh, please tell me we're not going to find him bitten by a spider, too!" grumbled Guy Diamond.

"Well, you did tell him to leave, Poppy," Chenille added quietly.

The air grew awkwardly quiet. Chenille and Poppy stared at the floor while Satin, Guy, and Harper looked at the two in confusion. Clearly they had missed something. The unspoken question hung between the puzzled Trolls: had something happened between Branch and Poppy?

The queen stiffened. Her mouth formed an O-shape, her pink eyebrows turned upward. "You're right." She wore an expression of shame, but it turned quickly to one of determination. Turning to Harper, she asked, "Are you feeling ok right now?"

Harper looked at her with furrowed brows. "I think so."

"Stay with her. Ok, everyone?" Poppy told the twins and the Troll of glitter. "I need to find Branch." She turned away without sparing them a second glance, headed for the elevator.

The frigid night air was very unwelcoming to Branch's skin, but the last place he wanted to be was in the company of other people. If being cold was the price for solitude even if most of the others were asleep, it was one he would gladly pay. A dark cloud had settled on his mind. His frown lines would surely be prominent if he looked in a mirror. He glanced at his hand.

It was a wonder he hadn't turned gray already.

Branch sighed long and slow. A breeze wafted through the air, dancing around his skin and pulling at his hair. He shivered. A chattering wracked his teeth, but he gritted them together. Though he was cold wearing nothing but his vest and shorts, hot tears warmed his lower eyelids. His hand shot up and brushed them away. "No," he muttered. _No crying_.

He may be stubborn on the outside, but why did his heart have to be so fragile? Poppy was mad at him and with good reason.

"I should've protected Harper," he told himself. "I should've kept an eye on them closer and now Harper might die because of me!" The heat of his tears threatened to spill down his glittering cheeks. Gritting his teeth, Branch forced himself to his feet and began to pace while muttering criticisms to his imperfect self.

It was all so familiar to him: _self blame, self doubt, self pity, self loathing_. He'd thought that maybe, just maybe it would change when he was colorful again, but the universe was cruel and liked to make him the center of misery.

He just wanted to know his parents' fate, but his curiosity endangered his friends, endangered Poppy. He should've left everyone at home. He should've insisted more that Poppy stay instead of following him. He should've...

He stopped his thoughts there. As much as he hated it, he was going to weep if he continued to chastise himself, so he shook his head and tried to think of anything else. His mind sifted through happier memories. Well, maybe not the happiest, but better than the memories he held presently. How could he possibly cheer himself up? Or at least distract himself from his aching heart at hand? He found his thoughts flitting to the conversation he had had with Poppy just a month before.

 _"Stars shining bright above you," she sang._

 _"Really?" he cut in, tone laced with irritation. "Seriously? More singing?"_

 _She was quick to shoot back, "Yes, seriously! Singing helps me relax. Maybe you ought to try it."_

Singing. The word floated through his brain and among his thoughts. He hadn't sung since his duet with Poppy at the anniversary party. _Maybe I should try it,_ he thought. He doubted it would help much, but at least it would distract him from the emotional pandemonium in his mind.

He opened his mouth, willing his teeth not to chatter from the bitter night around him, singing the only song that, as melancholy as it was, came to his mind at that moment.

 _"Every now and then I get a little bit lonely_  
 _And you're never coming round_  
 _Every now and then I get a little bit tired_  
 _Of listening to the sound of my tears_  
 _Every now and then I get a little bit nervous_  
 _That the best of all the years have gone by_  
 _Every now and then I get a little bit terrified_  
 _And then I see the look in your eyes_  
 _But every now and then I fall apart."_

The song had been a favorite of Rosiepuff's. It was once Branch's favorite, too, until his whole childhood had fallen through the roof. How awfully appropriate it fit his present situation. Branch had been falling apart a lot lately, at least in his mind. The whole journey had been a train wreck from the start.

 _"And I need you now tonight_  
 _And I need you more than ever."_

He needed Poppy. She was his anchor preventing him from floating away into his paranoid and depressive tendencies.

 _"And if you only hold me tight_  
 _We'll be holding on forever_  
 _And we'll only be making it right_  
 _'Cause we'll never be wrong together_  
 _We can take it to the end of the line_  
 _Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time (all of the time)_  
 _I don't know what to do and I'm always in the dark."_

Why did he always feel in the dark even after he regained his colors?

 _"We're living in a powder keg and giving off sparks_  
 _I really need you tonight_  
 _Forever's gonna start tonight."_

He needed her, but she had pushed him away for reasons he didn't entirely understand himself.

 _"Once upon a time I was falling in love_  
 _But now I'm only falling apart_  
 _And there's nothing I can do_  
 _A total eclipse of the heart_  
 _Once upon a time there was light in my life_  
 _But now there's only love in the dark_  
 _Nothing I can say..."_

 _"...a total eclipse of the heart."_ A new voice had joined his, causing Branch to cry out in surprise and he whirled around to see who had snuck up on him.

" _POPPY?_ " _Oh hair, how long has she been standing there?_ he wondered in panic. Turning quickly away, he frantically wiped the unfallen moisture from his eyes before moving to face her.

What was he supposed to think? Or DO for that moment? How much had she actually heard him sing? Oh hair, if she had been observing him since the beginning of the song he might as well have just painted _"I AM EMOTIONALLY DISTURBED AND I LOVE YOU, POPPY"_ right on his forehead while she watched.

Branch gulped. "H-h-how long have you been standing there?"

"Only a few seconds," she admitted quietly. "I was looking for you and I heard you singing."

"H-how much exactly did you hear me sing?"

A frown wrinkled her forehead. Though Branch was mortified, he had to admit she looked adorable. "Only the last two or three verses, why?"

He sighed. Well, maybe the situation wasn't all embarrassing. At least she hadn't heard him sing the parts about " _powder keg,_ " " _sparks_ ," and " _falling in love_." Not that he really wanted to especially hide his love and attraction for her, but something told Branch this wasn't the time to talk about romance. The whole situation was awkward enough as it was.

And now... he wasn't sure what to think. She'd found him singing and now the most awkward of all awkward silences filled the air. Branch shifted uncomfortably. Was Poppy still angry? Was she sad? She was giving him a look that appeared to be a mixture of sorrow and puzzlement, but more than half the time this girl confused him to know end.

He half expected a variety of things. Perhaps she would yell or at least give him a glare. She _had_ been angry when he had left. Her moods changed with the wind at times, so who knows how she'd react to him right now?

What he didn't expect, however, was the hug she tackled him in.

"Oof!" He fell backward, landing on his rear as Poppy held her arms around him tightly, murmuring something that fell nonsensical upon his ears.

Puzzled, he awkwardly returned the embrace, face flushing warmly. "Er... Poppy? What's wrong?"

She was on her knees in front of him, her arms wrapped around his neck tightly when suddenly she drew back. Her arms stayed around his neck, but her lips moved to the cheeks of his face where she planted several quick kisses.

Branch's mind went blank. Like a sheet of paper untouched by a pen, like stage fright in the middle of a performance, nothing coherent could be formed by either his voice or his thoughts. His mouth dropped open like a fish, his cheeks and ears _burning_. Oh hair, his face was probably not only a darker tint of blue, but probably closer to the shade of his hair. While her mouth avoided his lips, it still didn't make the ordeal any less surprising.

The moment didn't last long, but Branch found himself not knowing whether it had lasted two seconds or ten. Poppy was quick to withdraw and embrace him tightly once again.

When logic finally regained control of his mind, Branch attempted to pry her away. The hug was cutting off his air supply. She clung to him, motionless and more gentle than he expected, but still her grip was like iron.

"I'm sorry," she murmured.

"Poppy?"

"I'm sorry, Branch. I shouldn't have spoken to you like that."

"Poppy..."

Her grip on him tightened. "I was just worried. I thought everything was my fault."

Branch's mind whirled. What was she talking about? "Poppy," he tried for the third time.

She cut him off again. "I'm so sorry, Branch. You were right. I just didn't know what to do and-"

"Poppy, I can't breathe!"

"Oh." She withdrew, releasing him from her tight embrace. A shade of pink darker than her normal complexion dusted her cheeks.

Branch sucked in air, filling his screaming lungs with delicious oxygen. The air was cold, however, and small coughs tickled his throat.

When his breathing finally steadied, he shifted his gaze to the queen kneeling in front of him, trying to push away the memory of her sudden kisses to his face so he could at least try processing what she had just been saying. "O-o-ok... w-what were you s-saying?"

Her fingers were suddenly holding the sides of his face. Her own face was so close to his. _Oh hair_ , he thought. _Is she going to kiss me on the lips this time?_ Branch felt heat fill his face once more, his heart pounding in his chest. He could feel her warm breath ghosting over his nose.

"I'm sorry," she said gently, looking him in the eye. "I never should've spoken to you like that." She turned her head and snaked her arms around his neck, resting her chin on his shoulder.

Branch held one hand gently against her back, confused beyond belief. "Sorry? For what?"

"I was upset about Harper and I took it out on you." Her tone grew quiet. "I... I thought she might die because of me."

"WHAT?" Branch gripped her shoulders and pulled her away, looking her firmly in the eyes. How could she think such a thing? "Poppy, why would you think that? Harper was bitten, yes, but none of that was your fault. If anything it was my fault. I should've looked after everyone bet-"

She silenced him with a finger to his lips. "No, don't blame yourself, Branch. I should've listened to you. You warned me that there were spiders, but I ignored you anyway and Harper got hurt because of me!" She was rambling now. Her tone was quivering like she was close to tears. "The whole thing was my fault, and then I got angry and pushed you away and-"

It was Branch's turn to silence her by pulling the queen into a tight hug. At this point he didn't care whose fault it was. All his adversities were tossed to the wind, his troubled thoughts forgotten. All he cared about now was comforting Poppy. Seeing her torn up like this left an ache in his heart. He wanted to embrace her, to brush her tears away, to console her until he saw her smile again.

They stayed like that for longer than either of them intended, sitting peacefully in each other's comforting presence. Poppy snuggled her chin against his neck while he rubbed small gentle circles on her back. They were both shivering slightly from the cold wind, but their embrace warmed each other to the core. The moment was so peaceful, so quiet, so calming. Branch sighed and a genuine smile touched his face. It was like he hadn't smiled in several days. Though that had been normal for old gray Branch, he mentally admitted it shouldn't become a regular thing for blue Branch.

With a squeak Poppy suddenly let him go and drew back as if she had just remembered something. Branch shivered as the cold air cut between them. He almost pulled her back to him. Almost.

Poppy herself trembled at the bitter night breeze, but her expression looked preoccupied with a different thought. "Oh, I totally forgot. Harper is awake!" she exclaimed.

"She _is_?" The shock and in Branch's voice was evident. "Oh my hair..." If he wasn't so relieved Branch thought tears of joy might leak from his eyes.

Poppy was suddenly on her feet, offering her hand. Branch took it eagerly and she pulled him toward the bunker entrance. "Come on, Branch. Let's go see her."

Although Branch wasn't sure what exactly had happened to make her spontaneously pepper his face in kisses, at that moment it didn't matter. Now that he knew Harper was awake, he had to check and make sure she was alright.

Branch could sort out his puzzled thoughts and feelings later.

* * *

It was decided that they wouldn't move on until Harper had recovered her strength. Branch insisted on rest as often as she could and though Harper took full advantage to draw to her heart's content, she did get bored. Branch was uneasy letting anyone outside his bunker unless he went with them, especially with the cold weather, so after three days of staying inside the small group was growing restless.

Though Harper's spider wound would take longer to heal, she was almost fully recovered by the third day. "Hey," she began to her friends as they gathered in Branch's common room for the umpteenth time. "It's not that I don't love our old home, but when are we going to start journeying again?"

Poppy looked up from her scrapbooking on the floor, tapping her scissors against her chin thoughtfully. "I should think very soon," was her reply. "After all, you're pretty much fully recovered and we really should try to finish this journey before all the cold weather sets in."

"Speaking of!" said Satin.

"We have ideas about how to deal with the cold weather," Chenille added.

Satin eagerly held up a scrap of paper decked out in clothing sketches. "We have some leftover fabric in our old Troll pod-"

"-and if we can find it, we can make warm clothes so we all don't freeze!"

"Hey, that's a fantastic idea!" Guy approved. "This weather is really starting to get to me. It'll be really nice to have warm clothes to wear while we travel."

Poppy's grin was wide. To her friends' relief she had been a lot happier since Harper awoke. She was singing loudly, scrapbooking, teasing Branch, and laughing with her friends again. "I think that's a great idea! Satin, Chenille, how long will it take you to make warm clothes for everyone?"

"About a day, not long at all."

Her smile still wide, Poppy turned to Branch, who had been lingering quietly in the corner, and said, "How does that sound, Branch?"

Instead of approval or at least a smile, a frown dotted his face. He looked deep in thought. "I'm not so sure about that," he responded quietly, arms folded as he stared at the wall.

"Aw, come on!" complained the twins.

Guy cut in, "We've been stuck in your bunker for almost three days now with barely anything to do. We can't stay here forever."

Poppy's face fell as she saw Branch's frown of reluctance. "Guy Diamond's right, Branch. We've been stuck here for three days already and Harper's feeling better. We just have to be a little more careful of course, but why not start traveling tomorrow?"

Branch had been rather aloof the past few days and it was puzzling the queen to no end. Was he still upset about the potential danger? Was he still upset that she briefly got mad at him? Did she go too far with her affection toward him the other day? They hadn't actually talked about the whole thing. Branch had been distant and her heart sank. _I thought we fixed things,_ she mentally said.

The blue Troll tensed up. His eyes refused to meet their curious stares. "I've been thinking," he started slowly. "We should return to the Troll Tree."

 _"WHAT?"_ exclaimed his friends.

"But we're already halfway there. Why turn back now?" questioned Guy Diamond.

Branch had the same stubborn look Poppy had seen him wear a lot lately. "I've decided that I don't need to know what happened to my parents if it means putting everyone in danger. I've already made up my mind. We should go back tomorrow."

Poppy chewed her lip nervously. She couldn't blame him for wanting everyone safe, but like Guy had pointed out: they were already halfway there! They were so close. Harper turned out to be ok in the end; they just had to be extra careful.

Ths queen tried to speak. "Branch-"

"No, Poppy. I'm not letting anyone else get hurt because of me."

"But-"

" _No_." He was just as stubborn as ever.

The room grew quiet, but all the Trolls still looked as if they wanted to speak. Not even Poppy could find words on her tongue. Branch stood his ground with folded arms as if daring anyone to challenge him.

Finally, one small Troll found her voice. "No," said Harper, looking Branch straight in the eye.

He gaped like a fish.

"We should continue on," she said.

Branch tried to cut her off. "Absolutely not. It's-"

"Branch, you deserve to know what happened to your parents just as much as the next person!" Her voice was firm but had the slightest quiver. Her tone lowered at her next sentence. "Me? I never found my parents, but... you have the chance to, Branch. You're so close. You shouldn't give up now."

"You almost died," he pointed out in a low voice, staring at the ground sadly. "And who knows if they're alive anyway? They might not be. Surely if they were they wouldn't have stayed away all these years."

Harper was suddenly on her feet and striding towards him. She was much shorter than most Trolls and had to raise her head to look him in the eyes. "But I didn't," she murmured. "Don't give up now, Branch. We'll all be more careful and we'll make sure no one else gets hurt. I'm alive and fine. Like I said, you've come this far and it wouldn't be fair to back out now. We're all behind you."

Branch stared in disbelief, unsure how to respond. From the quiet staring crowd Poppy emerged, placing a hand on his shoulder. His gaze flickered to her. "Harper's right, Branch," she told him gently. "I don't think we should turn back. You deserve to know what happened to them. You got closure with your grandma and I think you deserve some closure with Bell and Spruce. They might still be alive. We hope they're alive and that's enough for us. I want you to hope, too."

If she didn't know any better she'd guess there were tears in his eyes. Poppy held out her arms. Without thinking twice Branch stepped into her embrace and hugged her back. "It's just scary," he whispered in a voice only she could hear. "I'm still scared of losing you or anyone else."

"I know," Poppy murmured back. "But it's ok. We'll all face this together."

The pressure increased on Branch and Poppy from all sides. Harper and their friends had decided to join the hug. It reminded Branch briefly of the group hug the whole Snack Pack had given him back when he was gray, but this time he smiled instead of frowned.


	9. Rushing Rapids

**A/N:**

 **I just have to say this again even though I've already said it before: THANK YOU to everyone who has been favoriting and reviewing this story! A number of you have been expressing such positive support for this story through reviews and PMs and I just have to say that it completely blows my mind that so many people love this story.**

 **I never really imagined so many people would favorite, review, and directly message me to express their love for this fanfiction. It is SO encouraging for me, way more than you know.**

 **Thank you also for being patient with me as I literally went a whole month without updating. I've had a crazy past few weeks that it took me WAY LONGER than I would've liked to write chapter 9. Chapter 10 should hopefully have a lot shorter wait time though.  
**

 **I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 9: Rushing Rapids**

Branch turned, taking in his last sight of his bunker entrance as the tepid morning air blew gently around him. The meager hole with the " _GO AWAY_ " unwelcome mat was just a small window inside vast caverns he had spent years expanding, but every single room and memory was etched inside his mind. He knew exactly where every scrap of food lay, where every jar of water was stored, where every invitation was hidden. _Thank goodness Poppy and the others never found those,_ he thought, not quite ready to admit he had never thrown out any of Poppy's invitations. Not a single one.

"Hey." A familiar voice accompanied by soft footsteps drew Branch's attention to the figure approaching him. Harper's face was painted with hesitation and curiosity. "You coming?"

"Yeah," was his slow reply as he turned back to observe the bunker.

Harper took a step closer. "Do you miss living here?"

Branch was still avoiding eye contact. "All the time," he murmured, shifting his gaze to another patch of ground. "Troll pods don't measure up to the security of solid ground."

"You mean _under_ ground."

A chuckle escaped the darker blue Troll. "Yep." Branch turned, finally facing Harper completely. "How're you feeling?"

With a roll of her eyes the artist replied, "I'm fine, Branch. I've actually been counting: you and the others have asked me that at least twenty times since breakfast." She shrugged. "Nothing's changed."

"We're just worried. You really gave us quite the scare."

A smile touched Harper's lips. "I know, and I appreciate it, but I'm fine, really. Right now we need to focus on _you_." Her smile grew into a grin. "We're going to find your parents."

His face fell. "How do you know?" he asked quietly. "Your parents didn't survive the wilderness. What chance would mine have?"

"Like Poppy likes to say: I don't know if they're alive, but I hope they're alive."

A frown dotted Branch's face. "But hope, it... it isn't concrete. Life isn't all cupcakes and rainbows. You and I know that better than anyone. Sometimes you just have to accept the fact that you'll never see someone again. For all I know my parents have been dead for years! Yours were. What makes you think that this will turn out any different?"

Harper sighed. "Branch," she began softly. "I know what it's like to lose people you love. Yes, my parents are dead and I know that for sure, but you don't. If there's any chance that someone has to find out if a person they love is alive, then I want them to take it. Even if I didn't have a happy ending, I want someone else to." Another small smile graced her features. "And besides, it's not completely sad. I still have all my friends. I haven't lost everyone, so even if it turns out we don't find your parents, you'll still have us by your side."

Branch's ears lowered a centimeter. "Yeah, you're right," he slowly responded as he gathered his things before motioning for Harper to follow. "Let's go. It's time to get moving."

Poppy and the rest of their friends greeted them with enthusiasm. Taking it upon herself to reassure Branch as they started the journey again, Poppy hugged him tightly. He returned the embrace rather awkwardly.

"How're you doing?" she asked softly, pulling back to gaze at him tenderly.

"Fine," Branch replied curtly, mentally willing his face not to break into a full-blown blush.

"You sure?"

He gave her what he helped was a reassuring smile. "Yes, Poppy. I'm ok."

With that they set off into the forest.

As the morning grew older, the sun floated higher into the sky. Leaves were thinning, letting more sunlight than normal shine down upon the Trolls. Fuzzy greenish-yellow trees surrounded them completely and if Branch didn't have a map, they would have surely been lost. Though the slightest breeze was circling around the group, the heat still rose and beads of sweat began to form on the Trolls as they walked. Branch was glad they had packed extra water this time. Each Troll had their own pack full of what he claimed were wilderness surviving essentials: water, a blanket, snacks, and the like. The most valuable item of all, the map inside the journal, was stored safely in Branch's hair. He checked it periodically.

A groan was heard from the back of the group. "It's so hot..." Harper trailed off, pausing to wipe the moisture from her forehead.

"How is it the past few days were freezing, but now it's burning us alive?" wondered Guy Diamond.

"Fall has strange temperature fluctuations," Branch answered.

Poppy raised her voice. "Hey Branch?"

"Yeah?"

"When can we take a break?"

"Well, there's a pond up ahead. We could rest there."

"A _POND?_ " Poppy clapped her hands, hopping up and down. "That's perfect! Come on everyone, let's go!" She took off through the trees, the others following excitedly in her trail save for Harper, all yelling something about water and cooling down.

"Poppy, wait!" yelled Branch.

But her pink figure had already disappeared between the green stalks of vegetation. With a groan he placed his palm against his forehead. From behind him Harper let out a small chuckle. "We'd better follow them and make sure they don't get into trouble again."

With a huff Branch took off after them. Harper followed close behind.

A loud splash was heard just as they found the group. Poppy had indeed found the pond and jumped in headfirst, clothes and all. Guy Diamond and the twins copied her actions. Over half their group was swimming around the newly discovered pond, thankfully remembering to put their packs on the ground before jumping in.

The pond was large, more of a lake to the small Trolls, and stretched out on both sides. The right of the pond ended some visible distance away. The left, however, appeared to flow into a small river winding down amongst the hills. Branch and Harper reached a small sandy bank of the pond where Poppy and the others had rushed in. Branch mentally noted the sandy bank would have served as a nice beach if he wasn't so focused on the frustrating matter at hand.

Branch had an unimpressed on his face. "Really, Poppy?" he cried. "You shouldn't take off like that, and are you _crazy?_ Jumping into a pond at _this_ time of year? Did you forget that fall is fast approaching? The water's probably freezing even if it is hot today!"

Poppy's head turned its attention from her swim and drifted toward him, her toes just barely touching the bottom of the sandy underwater floor. A thoughtful look was settled on her face. "Ok, maybe it _is_ a little chilly," she admitted. "But it beats the heat!" She waded further into the shallow end till the water reached her waist before sticking out her hand in a beckoning motion. "Come on, Branch. Join us! It's nice and refreshing."

The blue Troll vehemently shook his head. "No way," he retorted. "We're not staying and clothes take long enough to dry. It's not worth it for me. Besides, we should be travelling, NOT taking a swim break."

The queen stuck out her tongue. "Fine, Grumpypants." Turning to Harper, she called, "Hey Harper, you want to swim with us?"

"Oh, sure! But first..." The artist's hand ducked up to rifle around in her hair. "I'm taking my art supplies out of my hair."

Branch whipped his head to stare at her, a look of feigned hurt on his face. "Really? I guess I'm the only sensible one now."

With a shrug the artist replied, "What can I say? I love swimming and it _is_ really hot out here."

Branch was left alone on the sandy bank with a scowl on his face. "No more than ten minutes!" he called to his splashing companions. "Then we leave!"

With a grunt of annoyance he plopped himself against the stalk of a nearby tree. "Guess I'd better check the map," he muttered.

Despite the shade of the tree, the air was still nearly as hot as some of the summer had been. Branch let out a groan as moisture gathered on his forehead. Reaching up, he wiped the sweat from his brow only to find himself getting hit by a shower of droplets.

 _"HEY!"_

Poppy was standing above him, hands cupped together and dripping from head to toe, her wet hair hanging limply to one side. Her mouth was pursed in a vain attempt to hold in her laughter.

Branch shot her a glare. "Really? Did you miss the part from what I said earlier about NOT wanting to get wet? Clothes take forever to dry, Poppy!"

"Oh, come on, it's just a little water!" The queen giggled and moved toward him, dropping down to her knees. "Join us?" she pleaded, putting on the best puppy eyes she could muster.

Branch's eyebrow crinkled. Poppy's puppy eyes were extremely difficult to say no to, but not enough. "No."

She tugged in his arm. "Come on, Branch. There are no spiders around here, just us, our friends, and the trees. It's just a swim! What danger could there possibly be in the water?"

"Eels."

She burst out laughing. "Eels don't live in ponds. They're more of an ocean animal."

"You don't know that."

"Neither do you!"

With a roll of his eyes Branch looked back to the journal, but Poppy pulled it out of his hands. "Hey!" he cried, leaning over in an attempt to snatched it from her grasp.

Pulling it away, the pink Troll slipped it behind her back. "Come swim with us," she insisted.

"No." He reached for the hand behind her back, but she pulled away.

"Please?"

"No!"

He lunged to grab the journal once more, but Poppy was suddenly on her feet. "Nope!"

"Poppy, give it back!"

Their companions in the water shifted their attention to watch the two chasing one another. They were dancing around the tree stalk, Branch reaching for the journal only for Poppy to snatch it back. Smirks settled atop the four observers' faces. They watched the quarreling duo, cast glances amongst themselves, and then stared back at the two with soft snickering.

"Aren't they so cute together?" remarked Satin.

A grin was stretched across her twin's face. "They act like an old married couple!"

Harper and Guy Diamond burst into a fit of giggles.

Finally Branch managed to take back the journal and he shot the queen a glare. "Ok, that's enough. I'm going back to checking the map."

Face falling slightly, Poppy tugged on his arm. "Oh, come on, Branch. Please? We've barely had any fun since Truth or Dare night in your bunker!"

A shudder coursed through the blue Troll's spine. That was certainly a night he hoped to forget. His friends had almost made him reveal some certain _feelings_ he had toward a certain pink Troll which he managed to dodge by just a hair.

"No, and I'm not changing my mind," he stated.

Jutting out her lower lip in a pout, Poppy turned and trudged back to the water while Branch settled back to look at the journal once more. The eyes of their shifted around awkwardly, unsure what to do. Finally the twins sprang up and ventured over to the queen. Pulling her back into the water, they said, "Let's play Marco Polo!"

Poppy smiled a small smile, but her heart felt heavier than usual.

* * *

Shouts louder than the usual playing of happy Trolls tore Branch's gaze from the journal. Heart pounding, he counted the number of Troll heads there should be: Harper, Satin, Chenille, Guy Diamond, and...

"WHERE'S POPPY?" he yelled, shooting up from his seat against the tree and bolting to the sandy shore.

"Down there!" cried Harper with shaky tone, waving leftward down the pond. "She swam too far toward down the hill and, and... I think she got pulled downward by a current!"

Branch's eyes widened, his heart pounding at a thousand miles an hour. Chucking the journal onto the soft sand, he took off down the pond side. His feet left the sand and met the grass surrounding the bank that ran along the shore. "Stay where you are!" he shouted back toward his friends. "And _get out of the water!"_

The hot day's air swirled around him and he sucked it in as he sprinted. The pond ended after just several feet, transforming into a whirling stream downhill. Any ordinary Bergen might have stepped right through without any trouble, but to a tiny Troll the smallest water current could be dangerous. As the stream swirled downward, the trees grew more populated a day the ground more rough. Roots and stones stuck out out of the ground. Branch ran as fast as he could and as far and as possible, calling out and scanning desperately for a familiar pink figure.

Finally a sound answered him some ways down the swirling stream of water. "Branch, over here!" The water rushed faster and more violently downhill than the pond upstream. Though to a Bergen it may have just been a rapid moving stream, to a Troll it was more like a raging river.

"Poppy!" Branch made a mad dash along the hill, trying his best to avoid tripping over roots and stones in his path.

Poppy's pink form came into view. Her hair hung wet, limp, and almost useless as she desperately used her hands to grip a small stone stuck in the middle of a stream. The stone, however, was slippery and she wasn't feigning well. Frothy white liquid flowed around her wildly, doing its best to pull her into its dangerous blue jaws.

Branch stopped at the water's edge as close to Poppy as he could, yet with still a large gap between them. He leaned his head forward, shooting his hair out and above the rushing water. "Poppy, grab hold!" he shouted above the noise.

She looked back at him weakly. "If I let go I'll be pulled in!" she called, spitting water from her mouth.

"USE YOUR HAIR!" The fear in Branch's voice was evident as he screamed at the top of his lungs, straining his throat. Pure panic gripped him. His heart pounded, hands and feet trembling. _I can't lose her!_ he thought.

He watched her use her best efforts to gain control of her hair. It dragged behind her, pulling at the usual ponytail she kept it in. It wobbled as she strained her hair toward Branch's, but the water filled it, weighing it down and threatening to drag her downward. "I... I can't," she called weakly. Her fingers trembled and slipped farther down the smooth surface of the stone. Her eyes feebly met Branch's, his own gaze wide with panic.

"No," he told himself. "I'm not letting anyone else get hurt." Changing course of action, he sprinted and leaped headfirst into the rushing stream.

The chilly water hit him like a punch. Instantly his clothes and hair were soaked, adding weight, especially to his hair. He splashed wildly against the current, keeping his eyes firmly on the pink figure a ways away. She stared back weakly. The water roared in his ears.

The current pulled him downward, but finally his fingers felt the familiar fabric of Poppy's dress. Wrapping his arms firmly around her, he shot his wet hair toward a stick overhanging the stream. His hair, wet and weighed down by moisture, moved more slowly than normal. Poppy's arms slithered around his neck and came to hold firmly grasp around him. The frothy water swirled around them and screamed into their pointed ears.

Branch barely registered what happened next. "BRANCH, LOOK OUT!" Poppy screamed into his ear just as the water brought something crashing into them both. Something dark and hard struck Branch upon the forehead and his hair slipped. Poppy's hold on him tightened as they were both swept downstream.

Bumps. Crashes. Strikes. The water swirled them downstream. Liquid flowed into their mouths and noses as the line between surface and underwater was blurred. The two Trolls clung to each other as they were dragged under.

After some time the water spit them forth into a calmer, more shallow current. Branch's head burst from under the surface, coughing and sucking in the precious air. Blearily he looked around, catching sight of an embankment inches away.

With one last effort he shot his hair forth and caught it on a tree root poking out of the ground. Slowly but surely he lugged Poppy and himself toward the shore.

With a final strain he heaved them both onto the ground. Dirt coated them both and a buzzing rang in Branch's ears, head pounding within his skull, but he turned his attention to Poppy who lay still with closed eyes. Branch laid his ear against her chest. No breath or heartbeat.

"No, no, no, NO, NO! Stay with me, Poppy!"

 _Let's hope this works!_ He suddenly knelt down, placed his lips against Poppy's, and breathed into her mouth. Popping back up like a spring, he then placed his two hands on her chest and pushed up and down in a vain a tempt to get her heart to beat again.

He tried it once, twice, three times without success. "NO!" he cried again. Hot tears pricked at his eyes. "Stay with me!"

Two more times he tried to start her heart, both times unsuccessful. She lay motionless, eyes closed and mouth open.

"NO!" Branch held her head in his hands, holding her to his chest. "Poppy, please!" he begged.

Her frame shook and she coughed. With wide eyes and tears spilling down Branch's face he withdrew and brought his hand to her back, rubbing gently as she emptied her lungs of water.

"Branch?" She stared at him weakly.

He brought her forehead to his own, gazing into her eyes. She stared back weakly, mumbling, "B-B-Branch?"

"You're alive..." His head still pounding, Branch pulled her into a hug before promptly passing out in her arms.


	10. Teach Me

**A/N:**

 **Yes, chapter 10 is finally here! It may have taken me two weeks, but gosh I loved writing this chapter! This is probably one of my favorite chapters of this story to date!**

 **I recommend familiarizing yourself with the song "Fireflies" by Owl City if you don't know it just because it appears in this chapter. Anyway, please read and review! They give me motivation to keep going :)**

 **I don't have much else to say beside I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

 **Chapter 10: Teach Me**

"Ugh..." Branch let out a groan. Reaching upwards, his hand brushed his forehead, mumbling, "Ow... everything hurts."

And it did, especially his head. Pressure was pushing on the front of his skull, making it throb in pain. Everything was hazy and rather cold. Briefly the thought flitted through his mind that he might have a concussion. _I hope not,_ he thought.

Fully opening his eyes, something shifted around Branch, murmuring incoherently. Glancing down, his eyes widened as he saw familiar pink arms wrapped around his middle. Poppy was HOLDING him. Her back sat propped against a tree while she cuddled up next to him. Granted her body heat was welcome, especially considering how cold he felt at the moment, but warning bells rang loud and clear through his mind. With a sudden yelp he jumped to his feet, awaking Poppy in the process.

"W-what happened?" she muttered groggily, reaching out blindly for the warm thing that had suddenly just left her.

A chilly wind blew through the trees around the two Trolls, causing shivers to course throughout their bodies. Everything was dark, dark and cold. Night had fallen, taking the previous day's warm temperature with it as the moon cast a pale glow onto the woods.

"Poppy?" Branch called softly. "What was that?"

Awkward tension filled the air.

She gave him a sleepy look. "What do you mean?"

"I woke up to find you hugging me... why?"

"Oh that." She yawned. "Well, you saved me from drowning in the river, but you passed out almost as soon as I gained consciousness. I tried waking you up, but it didn't work and as the day passed, night fell and it got cold. I couldn't let you freeze to death, so I hugged you to keep you warm. Plus, I was cold, too, after falling into that river."

"Oh... uh, good thinking... I guess." Missing the warmth Poppy had given him before, he hugged his arms to his sides while deciding to change the topic.

"Sorry, I forgot you still don't like being hugged."

Branch mentally added that wasn't exactly the reason, but Poppy didn't need to know that. He decided to change the subject.

"So..." he began with a suspicious expression. "What exactly were you doing swimming far from the shore? Don't you know that downhill streams can be deadly to Trolls?"

"Of course I know that," Poppy shot back. "I wasn't near the stream _that_ much. I was swimming in calm water, but the underwater current became stronger than I expected."

"Why were you even over there in the first place?"

"I was trying to escape being caught by Marco. Harper was it and she was dangerously close to me."

"So you swapped a harmless child's game 'danger" for actual danger?"

She gave him a frown. "Hey, I didn't know the far side of the pond lead downhill or even had a strong current, alright? How was I to know I'd be swept away?"

"Ok, fine! Just next time, no more dangerous games."

"Marco Polo isn't dangerous!"

"Says the girl who just got pulled underwater while playing Marco Polo."

She glared at him in silence. He stared back with a slightly smug expression, arms crossed.

The air grew quiet, too quiet. Not even crickets filled the sound of silence as they were snuggled up for the coming winter. The wind blew slowly around the Trolls, the air nipping at their skin. It also didn't help that both Branch and Poppy's clothes were still damp from the river.

"W-w-what do we do now?" Poppy asked after the pause, her own arms folded around her middle in an attempt to keep warm while her teeth chattered. "I-I don't know where we are, d-do you?"

Branch cast a glance around. The river embankment sat several feet away, the water quietly laughing in the night as it flowed steadily downhill. Surrounding the two completely were trees on all sides looking darker, taller, and more intimidating in the night air. Branch could barely see a yard around them. The moon cast just barely enough light for him to make out Poppy's figure. It was only because of her bright pink color he was able to see where she was.

"We need to build a fire or else we'll freeze to death," he stated, getting to his feet and turning to walk away. "Stay here. I need to gather firewood and I don't want you wandering off and getting lost or hurt. You don't know how to survive out here safely."

"Then teach me." Her tone was determined, deadpan and serious, so unlike her usual cheer and enthusiasm.

Branch stopped in his tracks, turning to regard her with wide eyes. "What?"

Poppy's eyebrows were slanted downward, her mouth a thin firm line. She hoisted herself to her feet. "Then teach me how to survive, Branch. If I don't know how, then I want to learn."

"Really?" Branch's response was almost a whisper.

With a nod of her head she answered simply, "Yes."

Branch stared in slight disbelief. Poppy? The queen of singing, dancing, and hugging? She wants to learn _survival_? Then again, she was a very determined Troll and it would certainly ease his nerves a little if he knew she was a little more capable of surviving out in this forest of a wilderness.

"Ok," he finally said. "But I need you to listen carefully. Make one mistake out here and it just might cost you your life. Surviving in the wilderness isn't something to be taken lightly. Understand?"

She nodded, her eyes trained on him intently.

Branch shifted uncomfortably. It wasn't like her to gaze at him so intently like that. Looking at him she did a lot, but it was often with a smile on her face before she tackled him in a hug. Poppy rarely paid attention so intently. It's not that she didn't listen, but... she rarely listened with this much intensity and determined attention.

Finally he shrugged and said, "Ok, there are four main things you need to remember when you're surviving out here: water, shelter, food, and warmth."

"Worms sell funny whistles!" she suddenly cried.

"Uh, what?" Branch gaped, massive confusion wrinkling his forehead.

"Worms Sell Funny Whistles," she repeated with a smile. "It's an acronym for water, shelter, food, and warmth that I just made up. It's how I'll remembrance those four things. I used to use acronyms all the time back in school whenever we had tests!"

"Oh." Branch let out a chuckle. "You're really weird, Poppy, but if it works for you, then alright." He cleared his throat and continued. "Due to the convenient stream we just emerged from we don't need to look for water, but because we're both freezing our tails off out here our most important thing we need right now is warmth."

"That's where the fire comes in," Poppy suggested.

A small smile stretched across her companion's face. "Correct. Now..." He beckoned her to follow. "Let's gather some kindling, firewood, and the I'll teach you how to make a fire from scratch using the hand drill method."

"The what?"

"Hand drill method."

"What's that?"

"You'll see!"

* * *

"Hold the stick in your two hands," Branch began. "And rub your hands together to create friction against the piece of wood in front of you."

"It's not working," Poppy replied.

The survivalist tried his best not to laugh. "That's because you're holding it wrong. Here..." He placed his hands over her own, feeling the heat of her fingers against his. "Hold it between your hands like this," he finished, placing the stick between her palms. It pointed downward with its end resting against the scrap of wood that sat in front of her knees. "Now rub your hands together really fast, as if you're trying to warm them up."

She did so, creating friction between her palms for several long seconds. Her brows slowly furrowed and her bottom lip jutted outward in concentration. The corners of Branch's mouth curved slightly upwards as he watched her so full of determination. He sat on his own knees next to her, close enough to feel her body heat, gazing at her intently. She always gave everything her all, even when lighting a fire. He almost inched his hand around her waist and pulled her close. _Almost_.

"Argh, my hands hurt!" she cried after sometime, dropping the stick to inspect her palms.

"That's because you're not used to lighting a fire like this," Branch answered. "It can hurt your hands the first time you try it, but look!" He pointed to the piece of wood she'd been drilling the stick into. "It's smoking, which means the fire's almost started."

"What next?"

"Now we take the tinder and place it carefully against the smoke so it catches fire." He handed her a piece of the kindling, which caught fire almost instantly.

A grin stretched across her face. "Branch, look! I just made my first fire!"

Her blue companion laughed with her as he moved to place more fuel onto the small glowing flames. "I guess I was wrong. Maybe you _can_ survive out here," he remarked playfully.

Excitedly she reached her arms at him in a tight embrace. Branch returned the hug, a smile on his face.

Pulling apart, Poppy looked him right in the eyes and said, "Awesome! What's next?"

"We warm up and hopefully this fire will dry us off a bit before we go to sleep."

"It's so cold and windy out here though," she remarked as a gentle yet nippy breeze circled around them. "The fire's nice, but it only helps so much."

"We should build a shelter," Branch suggested. "Facing _away_ from the wind." Getting to his feet, he scanned their surroundings. "It looks like there are enough sticks around here to build a natural lean-to. Come on, I'll teach you how to build one."

Branch extended his hand with a wide smile, which Poppy accepted eagerly. He pulled her to her feet and together they went off to build a shelter.

* * *

The lean-to was created. Supported by a square frame of three sticks, the two had piled long branches and half-dead leaves against one side, making a half-triangular shelter just big enough for the two of them with some room in between.

Poppy and Branch ducked under the short roof, carefully settling themselves in. Although the small shelter protected them from most of the wind, it was far from perfect. The two Trolls found themselves shivering as the smallest tendrils of the breeze slipped through the cracks in the shelter. Their still-damp clothes did not help the situation either.

"It's s-s-so c-cold," Poppy chattered in the nippy air.

Branch sat huddled opposite her with his arms tightly around him. Poppy was in her blue dress and all he had were a vest and shorts. Neither of them were prepared for this. "This shelter is barely working," Branch remarked with a frown. "Great, we made a fire _and_ built a shelter, but we'll still be icicles by morning," he added in a sarcastic tone.

"What if we cuddled together while we slept?"

Branch's face turned a dark shade of blue. Thank hair Poppy couldn't see well in the low light. "C-c-cuddle?" he choked, hoping she would think his stuttering was from the cold and not from embarrassment.

"Of course!" she replied with a small smile. "Like penguins in a snowstorm. That's how they stay warm. We could do it, too."

Oh... Branch let out a mental sigh of relief. Still, it was _CUDDLING_. Would that be bad for two people who weren't officially together? He could just imagine the teasing that would go on if the Snack Pack were present. "I...uh..." Coherent words would not reach his mouth.

But Poppy had already settled herself on the floor, looking up at him. "Come on, Branch. It's freezing out. I don't want to see you become an icicle."

"Er... alright." Hesitately Branch slowly settled himself down next to Poppy, facing away from her and careful to leave a few centimeters of room between them.

"Branch, you're going to freeze!" Poppy shifted herself right next to him and looped an arm around his waist. With a giggle she said, "There, isn't that warmer?"

He had to admit with her close to him, he was not quite as cold as before.

The wind blew around them, but they laid there peacefully in each other's warm embrace. They would not turn into icicles tonight. Minutes passed. When he heard Poppy's breathing slow into a steady rhythm slowly he shifted his position so that he was facing Poppy. Gently he draped his own arm around her back. A smile appeared on her face and she cuddled up to him in her sleep, her forehead resting just below his chin.

He only dared because she was asleep. Slowly he moved his head forward and planted his lips on her forehead before bashfully pulling away to close his eyes and rest his head. _Thank hair she's not awake,_ he thought.

* * *

It was cold, cold and dark. The wind had died down, but the frigid night air still stung. The lean-to protected somewhat from wind, but not the cold. Shivers wracked Branch's body, coursing down his spine. Pulling his vest more tightly around him, he reached out for his warm sleeping companion. She must have shifted away from him in his sleep and while Branch would've normally blushed at cuddling her like this, he was shivering badly enough to make himself worry.

His eyes snapped fully open and he shot up like a bullet when no Poppy was nowhere to be found inside the lean-to. Adrenaline took effect and flowed through him as he scurried to his bare feet and scanned wildly around for a familiar pink figure. "P-Poppy?" he called weakly through chattering teeth, his heart pounding in his chest, a million thoughts of despair whirling in his mind. He wrapped his arms around himself as he took a step into the chilling air.

"Poppy! POPPY!" Branch yelled when no voice answered him. "No, not again!" he murmured. "Poppy, where are y-"

A voice and a familiar pink figure jogged out of the dark trees. "Branch! What's wrong?"

 _"Where were you?"_ Branch almost yelled at the top of his lungs. "Are you hurt? Did something happen?" Desperately he scanned her from head to toe looking for any signs of distress. Was she injured? Was she in some sort of trouble?

"Branch, calm down!" Poppy's hands came to rest on either side of his head. "I'm fine, I promise!"

But he was already riled up. When he saw there appeared to be nothing wrong he jerked away from her hands on his face and took to pacing frantically back and forth in front of her. "Are you CRAZY?" he cried. "Wandering off in the middle of the night? What were you THINKING?"

Poppy opened her mouth to speak. "Branch..."

But he cut her off still stomping back and forth. "First it was Harper who scared me half to death-"

Poppy wasn't sure exactly what Branch was doing. It wasn't quite a panic attack, more like a sarcasm attack, or a sarcastic rant. He paced back in forth, fists curled and teeth gritted, giving the ground a glare that would melt steel. He was riled up and probably with good reason, but that didn't mean Poppy wasn't confused. Branch wasn't violent, far from it, but he still desperately needed to be calmed down.

Poppy opened her mouth to speak. "Branch..."

"-and then you HAD to swim too far from the shore!"

"Branch."

"-and NOW you scare me AGAIN by strolling off in the middle of the night! What were you even DOING? Picking flowers in the moonlight?"

Poppy's eyelids dropped halfway down her eyes. "Branch!" she tried for the umpteenth time, raising her tone.

"I'm surprised I haven't gone into cardiac arrest already considering the countless times you and your friends have basically given me heart attacks! In fact-"

"BRANCH, SHUT UP!"

He stopped and whirled to face her, feet planted firmly on the ground and panting heavily. Though he still appeared upset, his eyes were wide with shock. Poppy, sweet little Poppy, the Troll queen who befriended a whole village of Bergens, the one who hugged everyone she met, that Poppy had just told him to shut up. His mouth dropped open.

Though she had raised her voice, she didn't look angry. Instead she took slow steps toward him, venturing over to look him in the eye. She opened her arms.

Branch didn't hesitate. He stepped into her embrace, welcomed it. They were both freezing and he was biting back tears. Though no moisture fell from his lids, Branch hugged her tightly.

"Are you alright?" she whispered.

"Do I seem alright?" he muttered with a pout.

She frowned and drew back to gaze him in the eye, placing her hands on either side of his face once again. Their breaths mingled in the cold air together with their close proximity. "You just blew up a few seconds ago," Poppy murmured. "Branch, what's really wrong?"

He cast a quick glance toward the ground before pulling her into another hug more for his own comfort. "This whole trip has been more stressful than you even realize," he confessed. "Neither you nor our friends can survive out here on their own."

"You're teaching me," Poppy added.

"True, but I still have to constantly watch out for five people. Harper almost died, you almost died." It was Branch's turn to draw back, gently hold the sides of her face, and look her in the eye. "This isn't a game, Poppy," he stated. "I know you and the others are having fun, but twice now two of the group including you have almost gotten killed! I just want you to take this more seriously. Whether we find my parents or not, the one person I absolutely refuse to lose is YOU!"

He sounded on the verge of tears. Poppy wrapped her arms around his neck. Leaning forward to plant a kiss on his cheek, she gave him another hug. He didn't even have the energy to blush.

"I'm sorry we've been scaring you," murmured the Troll queen. "I... I'll take this more seriously, I promise."

"Thank you."

"But Branch?"

"Yes?"

"I want to show you something, something I found in the forest."

He drew back, looking at her with tired eyes. "What? Can't it wait till morning?" A shiver tingled through his spine. "It's cold and I'm exhausted."

"No, it can't wait. It'll be gone by morning!" The pink Troll took his hand and began to pull him through the trees.

"Poppy, what is worth freezing our tails off in the middle of the night that we most likely can't see anyway?"

"But you CAN see it. Come on!"

Branch's tone turned into a tired whine. "Poppy!"

She refused to let him go, instead pulling him through the trees. She guided him to a clearing. It wasn't far from the lean-to. It was small and the moon barely cast any clear light upon it, but that wasn't what made it impressive.

Branch's mouth dropped open at the sight within the clearing.

Lighting up the clearing were what must have been hundreds of fireflies. About half the size of a Troll's head, they zipped about producing patterns of no particular order around the clearing, casting their beautiful glows of green, yellow, and red amongst the trees. Like living fireworks of nature they danced around, muttering nonsensical words in cheerful tones amongst themselves. Many stopped to investigate the two Trolls who gazed at them in awe. A few buzzed in places, looking at Branch and Poppy curiously.

Suddenly Poppy turned to her companion and took his hands in hers. "Dance with me," she murmured, gazing at him with a look that made him weak at the knees.

"But..."

She placed a finger to his lips. "Shhh, let's just enjoy this moment. Isn't it beautiful? I haven't seen fireflies in months, especially in this cold weather!"

"Why are they even out here?" questioned the blue Troll. "Shouldn't they be hibernating?"

"I don't know, but it doesn't matter," responded Poppy. "Let's just dance."

She led him into a slow dance. Without a further comment Branch matched her steps, joining her in rhythm. The glowing fire bugs flitted around them, humming a steady melody. The two Trolls eyes were trained intently on each other.

Poppy's lips parted in song. Her pink colors brightened and began to glow like a lantern, like a pink fire the fire bugs had lit themselves.

 _"You would not believe your eyes_  
 _If ten million fireflies_  
 _Lit up the world as I fell asleep_  
 _'Cause they'd fill the open air_  
 _And leave tear drops everywhere_  
 _You'd think me rude_  
 _But I would just stand and stare."_

Branch had her sing countless times, but something about her and her voice was extra beautiful tonight. He opened his own lips and joined his voice with hers in harmony.

 _"I'd like to make myself believe_  
 _That planet Earth turns slowly_  
 _It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep_  
 _'Cause everything is never as it seems."_

Branch's own colors became alit and glowed like blue fire. It was like True Colors, but this time they were alone. Colors glowing with passion and love, blue and pink added their own beautiful flair to the swirling patterns of the lightning bugs. The fireflies hummed louder, joining their musical tones with the singing duo.

They lost track of time, and although Branch and Poppy were exhausted when they stopped dancing, falling asleep in each other's arms, under the stars, and surrounded by fireflies beat resting in a homemade lean-to.

* * *

 _"Time together is just never quite enough_  
 _When you and I are alone_  
 _I've never felt so at home_  
 _What will it take to make or break this hint of love?_  
 _We need time, only time"_

 _~"The Saltwater Room" (Owl City)_


	11. Separated

**A/N: Oh, wow! An actual update after almost two months? Yep! It's finally here!**

 **I am so sorry for taking forever. I got writer's block, classes started, and a lot has been happening in my personal life. However, I'll do my best to update more frequently. Not only that, but I'm working on another Trolls story that I'm hoping to post in a few weeks, and I'm going to add more to my Anthology of Broppy.**

 **I know I've said this before, but I'm still very grateful for you all being patient with me. It's not always easy to update as often as I'd like, so from the bottom of my heart: Thank You!**

 **Anyway, I hope you like this chapter! A lot happens and it's both intense and heartwarming :)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 11: Separated**

The air was silent and tense when Branch's blue form disappeared down the stream. The four Trolls left behind just stood with eyes wide like dinner plates. Now out of the water, they stared as water trickled off their clothes and onto the ground, and shifted uncomfortably as they glanced amongst each other. A _"what do we do now?"_ look was shared between the four friends.

Harper was the first to speak. "W-we need to go after them," she said, starting to step away from the group. "We can't just leave them to drown!"

Instead she found a glittered hand on her shoulder. Guy looked hesitant. "It's not that I don't agree with you, but... I think we should think this through first." He turned to the twins. "He _did_ tell us to stay put, and we don't even know where the stream leads. It's not like we have a map."

Satin gave the shiny Troll a sassy frown. "He left like two minutes ago. He couldn't have gone far."

"Alright, calm down, everyone. Let's not start a fight," spoke up Chenille.

Guy nodded in agreement. "We shouldn't make any rash decisions either. I mean, look where it got us when we didn't look after each other a few days ago. Harper almost died!"

"And Branch and Poppy could die if we don't go after them!" Harper snapped.

Timidly Chenille added her two cents. "But... Branch told us-"

Reeling on her friends, Harper cut her off with a near yell, "Why does that even matter? When a friend needs help, you help them! Especially if they could die!"

"I was just saying that maybe we should listen to Branch for once, because-"

"No!" cried the artist. "I don't care, I'm going to find them! You can stay here if you want, but I'm not wasting anymore time arguing." And with that, she took off down the stream.

"Harper, wait!" Guy called after her.

Satin took off bounding after the artist, ignoring the protests of her sister and the glitter Troll. "We can't let her go off alone!" she yelled back at them.

Guy and Chenille exchanged a glance of worry. With a sigh the glitter Troll remarked, "Looks like it's already been decided."

A sudden pull on Chenille's hair caused a yelp to escape from her mouth. "OW!" she cried, casting a glare toward her running twin. "Satin, stop pulling on my hair. It hurts!"

"Then come on, slowpoke!" retorted her sister as she practically dragged Chenille after her.

Satin continued to drag her sister along as they followed Harper and the glitter Troll. _For such a small Troll she can run extremely fast!_ Guy thought.

They tailed the stream, Harper's blue form barely staying in view. The hot air whipped around them as they sprinted, doing little to cool them off. Sweat began to glisten on their foreheads and it didn't help that they were already damp from swimming.

Harper was gaining traction and in a vain attempt to keep her in sight Guy Diamond quickened his speed. However, suddenly a loud _THUMP_ and an _"OOF!"_ caused Guy to slow and turn his head back.

The twins were in a heap of tangled hair and fallen sticks. Chenille had tripped over a tree root, causing herself to tumble forward into her sister and her hair. Their conjoined hair was curled around them in knots and snarls, tying them together in a grumbling heap. Satin was sitting upright amongst the tangled predicament, sending a glare to her sister who had fallen onto her stomach and was giving a leer right back.

"HARPER, STOP!" Guy called before turning to face the predicament the two fashionistas had gotten themselves into.

"Satin, I told you to slow down!" Chenille quipped.

"Since when did you say that? I didn't hear you say anything!"

"Maybe if you actually listened to me for once you would have known that!"

"Oh, you're talking to me about listening? You talked my ear off the other day about how you wanted to incorporate the color pink into the fall fashion designs. _Pink?_ Are you _kidding_ me? Pink isn't an autumn color, sister!"

Slowly the eyelids on Guy Diamond's face began to drop. One eyebrow lifted up to his hairline, his mouth a thin line in disapproval. _Of all the times to fight,_ he thought with an eye roll.

After a moment of endless yelling, he took it upon himself to cut in. _"GIRLS!"_ They turned to face him in surprise. "Do you really need to fight about this right now? In case either of you don't know, we have two lives on the line and a teenager who's probably miles ahead of us now!" His fingers curled into fists and his eyebrows narrowed. "So for the love of hair, if you two could quit squabbling and help me catch up with Harper before she goes too far off on her own, that would really be GREAT!"

The twins looked at him with wide, unblinking eyes, but before they could respond a desperate wail sounded down the stream. Guy's eyes widened. He darted toward the sound, ignoring the twins who were desperately proceeding to untangle themselves and scramble to their feet.

He found Harper staring listlessly at the water. "They're gone..." she was mumbling, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. "They're gone... if they were alive surely we would've found them by now! They're dead, they're gone, they were swept downstream and they drowned!"

Familiar glittered arms wrapped around Harper's shoulders. The artist gave Guy a look that made his heart lurch. "They're gone!" she cried. "Gone, dead, drowned!"

From the thicket behind the two emerged the twins. Their silly fight forgotten, they gathered around the two in a group hug.

"No," Guy stated, pulling away to look down at her.

She stared back, blinking tears in her eyes. "Huh?"

"We're not giving up just because we can't find them," reiterated the glitter Troll. "That just means we look harder." He cast a glance to the rushing stream. "We haven't gone far and it's only been a few minutes since we last saw them."

"We're not going to stop," Satin added.

Chenille gave the artist a tight hug. "Don't worry, sweetie," she murmured. "We're going to find them. Like Guy said: we're not going to give up just yet. We're going to be like Poppy and search and search until we find the queen and her boyfriend."

Satin stifled a snort. Guy gave her a look that said, _"She's definitely right, but now is not the time for that."_

Glancing at them with teary eyes, Harper nodded slowly as she wiped her nose with the sleeve of her damp smock. Her friends gave her one last hug before pulling away slightly. "Ok," she murmured.

After collecting their wits, they took off rapidly down the stream, glancing frantically around for any sign of pink or blue around the rushing water. They looked up and down, left and right, but no sign of the two could be found. Harper looked uncharacteristically melancholy and quiet as she trailed slowly after her friends.

It was Satin who finally broke the silence. "Ok, we aren't getting anywhere. We've been walking for how long? An hour?"

Chenille scoffed. "Sis, it's been nowhere near that long. If anything it's been like ten minutes, maybe fifteen, but I think that's a stretch."

"Who cares? We're still not getting anywhere. I think we should-"

"Shh!" Guy had a finger to his lips.

Satin's hands planted themselves firmly on her hips. "Excuse me? What-?"

"No really, be quiet!" begged Guy, waving his hands around in the air. "I think I hear something."

The air grew quiet, _too quiet._ The group of four began to step around as softly as they could, observing their surroundings with wide eyes. The twins shifted uneasily toward each other. Harper took a step closer to the Troll nearest in her vicinity, which happened to be Chenille. The fashionista gently placed a hand on the artist's shoulder in reassurance.

A screech sounded from behind them. Whipping around, their hearts leapt into their throats as they saw a gigantic shape swooping towards them.

"RUN!" Guy Diamond's scream cut through the air as the bird came upon them. It was a one-eyed avian, many times larger than a Troll, yellow-orange in color with blue legs, and it headed straight for them. The group scattered when it dove down snapping its long blue beak around them.

Harper caught a glimpse of its piercing yellow eye before it latched onto her hair. Letting out a scream, partly out of pain and partly out of shock, the artist found herself lifted off the ground, her legs dangling in the air. Someone screamed her name, but found herself too shaken to reply.

A flash of blue suddenly sailed through the air, latching tightly onto Harper's leg and proceeding to pull against the bird's chosen direction. It was Chenille. Her hair, as always, stretched out and connected to her sister's. Satin was planted on the ground with Guy behind her, his arms around her waist holding her stationary while his own hair was wound tightly around a nearby plant stalk. Collectively they pulled against the bird, which was flapping desperately against the chain of Trolls that held it down.

It let out a squawk, but its beak stayed clamped on Harper's hair. She groaned at the splitting pressure on her skull. Blearily she could make out Chenille, who still had a hold on her, as well as Satin. Nearly ripping a Troll's hair from their skull was painful, and Harper and the twins were no exception. They were managing to hold the fighting bird down so it wouldn't fly off with their friend, but anymore pressure and they all would be painfully bald.

Everything was a blur. Harper was being tugged in two different directions. She appreciated the attempt her friends were making for her, but... it wasn't going to work. "Chenille!" she called through gritted teeth.

"What?" Chenille's reply was just barely heard over the bird's squawking.

"You need to let go of me!"

The twin shot her head up to look the artist square in the eye. "WHAT? No! Absolutely not!"

Harper gave her a pleading look. "Please! You have to, otherwise you'll get torn in half!"

They stared at each other, neither wanting to have to choose between two bad situations. Harper tried again. "Please, Chenille!"

Suddenly the twin turned to her sister, who was struggling with Guy Diamond to keep their feet on the ground. Chenille cast her sister a desolate look.

An expression of horror dawned upon Satin's faceface as if she knew exactly what Chenille was telling her, like they were communicating through a mental link of unspoken words. "No, Chenille! Don't do that!" she screamed.

"It's the only way unless you want our hair ripped out by a bird!" was the blue twin's sad reply.

"NO!"

At first Harper was unsure what happened. Something snapped, and suddenly the pressure on her hair let up. The bird shifted in midair, spreading its wings at full capacity and shooting upward into the sky.

A scream tumbled from Harper's lips as she found herself soaring above the trees, her hair still firmly in the avian's mouth. A quick glance at the pressure around her leg told her that Chenille was still there holding on, but something was wrong.

Harper's gaze followed Chenille's hair. Instead of looping around and weaving into her sister's own head, it stuck straight upward, flowing wildly in the breeze like any normal Troll's locks would. The sounds of Satin and Guy screaming drifted from the foliage below.

Chenille was no longer connected to her sister. She and Harper were being carried off by the one-eyed yellow bird to who-knows-where.

* * *

"So... where are we going exactly?" asked Poppy the morning after the beautiful dance with the fireflies. Her heart still fluttered every time the memory crossed her mind. She had a dopey smile on her face most of the morning because of it.

"We're following the stream back uphill. We don't have the journal and it's best we take the way we originally came from so we can find our friends and get the journal back so we know where we're going." Branch was leading the way, but she was right on his heels. Every once in awhile her hand or arm would bump against his own and his heart would skip a beat, though he tried his best to ignore it and keep his attention on the objective at hand.

The air was much cooler than the day before, but not unpleasant. The sun was shining and a fair amount of clouds, non-sentient ones of course, were floating across the sky, casting the occasional shadow down upon the two Trolls.

"What if they're not there?" Poppy suddenly asked.

Her companion stopped mid-step, and while she only saw the back of his head, she knew he hadn't been expecting her to say something like that. Almost immediately he started his walk again. "Well, let's hope they're there," was his reply. "I told them to stay put."

"You know how they are though," Poppy pointed out. "They probably won't stay in one spot for too long."

Branch's worry lines were beginning to show and silently he was thankful Poppy couldn't see his face. "Well, if that were the case then surely they would've found us while we both were passed out on the shore downstream."

"But what if-"

" _Poppy_." His tone held a hint of warning. _I don't need to deal with that right now,_ he thought.

They continued in silence with only the rushing sounds of the river filling the air. Poppy followed him uneasily, wanting to say something but hesitant. The silence was killing her. Nothing of interest was happening.

"Ok, that's it!" Suddenly she sprinted in front of him and grabbed his hand, pulling him after her in a run.

Branch almost tripped over his feet. "Woah, Poppy! What on earth are you doing?"

"Our pace is so slow," she told him. "And I want to find our friends as fast as possible! We need to make sure they're ok."

With a roll of his eyes the blue Troll put on a burst of speed and kept up with her pace, matching her evenly. They ran side by side, hand in hand with smirks threatening to break out on both their faces.

It was mere minutes when they came upon a crossroads: the river suddenly split into two different paths. Two different hills had two different streams flowing wildly downward.

"Which way do we go?" Poppy questioned.

"I... I don't know." Branch was at a loss. Without his map he hardly knew where he was going. He had never been in this wilderness before. With the exception of the stream they were surrounded by trees, trees, and more trees.

Seeing his confused expression, Poppy pulled him leftward. "Let's try the right. If it doesn't lead us to the pond, then we'll double cross back and try the left."

"Poppy, we don't know where it goes!"

"But Branch, what choice do we have? Do you actually know where we are?"

His face fell. "No... I have no idea."

"Then come on. We'll be careful, ok?"

"Alright."

They turned rightward, heading up the hill, but it was tricky. Roots and stones stuck out of the ground, forcing them to look before they stepped, which slowed their pace. The green trees began to change into a different species of blue foliage, growing larger and more furry, like tall pine trees with hair. The warm air suddenly turned cool as the large branches blocked out the sunlight.

"Are we in a different climate?" Poppy wondered.

A frown was settled on her companion's face. "I have no idea. I've never seen trees like these before."

A sudden yelp made Branch jump and he whipped his head to look at the queen. She stood stock still, shocked but apparently unharmed, staring at one of the low hanging branches of the blue trees.

Branch was at her side in seconds. "What's wrong?" he cried, worry coloring his face.

"Oh, uh… sorry, I brushed up against one of those fuzzy branches and it tickled."

The blue Troll lifted a brow, giving her a very inquisitive stare. "It… tickled you?"

Poppy rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "Yes."

"Good grief, Poppy, you nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"Sorry, it just surprised me. I'm ticklish, ok?"

Letting out a snort, Branch rolled his eyes and beckoned for them to keep on moving. He was smirking as they resumed their walk. Poppy gave him a frown.

"Oh, come on!" she began. "Don't give me that look. Tickling is a serious thing! I heard that some ancient Troll cultures used it as a form of torture."

Branch was clearly skeptical. When he spoke sarcasm was evident in his tone. "Oh, really? _Tickle_ _torture?_ Yeah, ok..."

"Have you ever been tickled before? It's horrible!"

"Can't say I have."

"Wait, really? You've never experienced the torture that is tickling?"

"I don't know if you remember my history, Poppy, but I didn't exactly spend my time worrying about whether or not I was ticklish."

A smirk was beginning to grow on the pink Troll's face. "So..." she started, causing Branch to shift his arms uncomfortably. " _Are_ you ticklish?"

"No."

"How do you know?"

"I just do."

"But you've never been tickled before! How would you know if you've never been tickled before?"

"Because I do," Branch snapped. "Now, can we focus on the task at hand and actually try to make some headway?"

But Poppy was never the type to just drop something as potentially golden as this opportunity. Branch now had his back turned to her as he continued to walk uphill. Quietly padding behind him, she stuck her hand out quickly toward a low-hanging branch and plucked out a long, fuzzy blue twig. With it firmly in her hands she creeped forward until she stood right behind her unsuspecting companion and fluttered it against his side.

With a yelp Branch jumped comically into the air. Turning around to see what in hair had just happened, his expression dropped in horror as he saw the queenly Troll standing there with a sly smile and a fuzzy twig in her hand.

Holding up his hands in suspicion he cried, "What are you doing?"

Giggles burst forth from Poppy's mouth. She doubled over in laughter, holding her sides. "I KNEW IT!" she proclaimed. "You ARE ticklish!"

Folding his arms together, Branch narrowed his eyes and scrunched his face. "Um, no! I was surprised, that's all."

"Oh, really?" The queen had the most sly smirk on her face Branch had ever seen and she began to advance toward him with her hands outstretched.

Paling, Branch took a step back. "Poppy, what are you doing?"

No answer. Instead she continued to move closer. With a sudden yell Branch took off into the trees and his companion darted after him like a pink little bullet.

There was no escaping Poppy when she was determined, and Branch found himself tackled to the ground, crying out in horror. The pink Troll's fingers found his sides, wiggling against the ticklish spots on the sides of his stomach Branch didn't know he had.

He fought desperately through giggles and yells to get her away. "Gahaha! Poppy, stop! No, POPPY! EEK! No more-HAHAHA!"

Poppy's own laughter mixed with his own. Her attack on him continued for several minutes, way too long in Branch's book. When he finally managed to shove her away, the tables turned and he retaliated with a tickle attack to her own sides.

A fresh fit of laughter spilled from Poppy's mouth as the attacker became the attacked. Their momentary dilemma of finding their friends forgotten, peals of laughter passed between them as they tickled each other, losing track of time. This charade continued until they both had goofy grins on their faces and their stomachs hurt from laughing.

When their giggles died down, Branch found himself lying flat on his back with Poppy leaning halfway on top of him, their eyes gazing into each other. In a daring move Branch put one hand on her back. Poppy lowered her head until their noses were dangerously close, their lips mere centimeters away.

"I knew it," Poppy whispered, her breath ghosting Branch's nose and sending shivers down his spine.

"Knew what?"

"I knew you were ticklish."

Her crush rolled his eyes for perhaps the third time that day. "Alright, you got me. I'm ticklish."

The tension was high as the conversation died down. Pink eyes gazed into blue, daring them to close the gap between their mouths.

The space began to shrink as their lips moved closer and closer toward one another.

A sudden _BOOM_ snapped them both to attention. Branch sat up in surprise, shifting Poppy off his lap. Together they glanced around wildly for the source of the sound.

They received an answer when large droplets of moisture began to fall through the trees and splatter onto the forest floor around them.

It had begun to rain.


End file.
